Girls und Krieg
by SeekerMeeker
Summary: [Complete] There is a time for peace, and a time for war. When an invasion suddenly occurred, Miho and the people of New Ooarai Republic decide to embark on a risky journey, in which they will try and rediscover their old friends. Little do they, however, that they are going to discover something more than what they had expected...[GuP is the property of Actas.]
1. Chapter 1: Surprise Invasion

**Greetings from SeekerMeeker.**

 **It has been a long, LONG time. I not only had to deal with a writer's block, so that I rested, but also I ended up participating in** **a writing competition known as Nanowrimo (also NaNoWriMo). That's done, so I am ready to get back!**

* * *

 **Finally, I am back to writing GuP, but this time, I have decided to start a brand-new story, because I have a lot of research and worldbuilding that I wanted to incorporate.**

 **No, this story is brand-new, not a sequel or prequel; this is its own story.**

 **I hope to flesh out ALL of our favorite revealed schools en masse, and this time, I will try and take time to make sure that I am not too obsessed with everything. In other words, I want to have fun, but also to write seriously.**

 **So then, let us journey into an unlikely type of warfare:**

* * *

 **Girls und Krieg**

 **By SeekerMeeker**

 **Chapter 1: Surprise Invasion**

She was enjoying her moment of peace, when it happened.

BOOM!

"MIHO!" four voices roared in various frequencies, as four footsteps dashed in the direction of the explosion.

"MIHO!" the same voices cried, opening the majestic, mahogany doors, and gasped.

The entire room was in ruins. The Golden Office room, where Miho was checking some paperwork, was no longer golden. Chandeliers fell down, the glasses scattered on the ground like caltrops. The wooden walls and floor cracked, with planks raised up and torn to shreds. At the shattered glass windows, the mahogany, ornate desk was totaled, blasted into bits.

"MIHO!" they roared.

"I am fine."

All four girls turned to look at their right side. To the far right of the shattered desk, Miho dusted herself, unfazed.

"You're alright!" her friends gasped, glad to see her alive.

"I almost died!" Mako moaned.

"You shouldn't say that!" Saori groaned.

"It's good to see you alive and well," Hana said, although she panted a little.

"Nishizumi-dono!" Yukari yelled, trying to tackle her, but she dodged. "I am glad you're OK!"

"Yes," Miho said; to be honest, she was not bothered by the blast, but was blushing at her friends' reactions. "But what just happened? Did somebody-"

"We're under attack!" the PA system blared, cutting her off, with blue holographic screens appearing en masse from the walls. "Nishizumi-sensei, rally up the forces!"

"What's going on?!" Saori yelled, blinking rapidly; the others were also concerned.

"Sodoko-san," Miho said. "What happened? Who fired a round into my office?"

"None of us!" Sodoko roared, as another shockwave of an explosion appeared. "Some small fleet of invaders is trying to bombard us! Nishizumi-sensei, please give the command."

Miho nodded.

"Get our military to the stations!" she called out, but her face was red. "But please, I am just Nishizumi Miho!"

"You're the leader!" her friends called out. "We'll protect the stations at once!"

She blushed again, but nodded.

"Make sure everybody's safe!" Miho shouted, as she opened her private closet, while the others ran out to get assistance. "It's been a while, since we had war, but we're ready."

"But this soon?!" Saori's voice echoed away, apparently overhearing Miho.

"We'll talk later!" Miho shouted. "Saori-san and all of you! Get the chopper ready!"

* * *

Miho hurried towards the helipad, as a strange aircraft was about to take off. It looked like a V-22 Osprey aircraft, but sleeker with a white-and-blue theme. Furthermore, the cockpit and parts of the body somewhat resembled that of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft. It was really their own futuristic take on the Osprey, and some various parts from other aircraft.

"We have to hurry!" the pilot called, blaring her loudspeaker. "My XC-17 needs to go!"

"Take off!" Miho said, as she ran towards the aircraft. Her friends were already on board, and Miho jumped.

"Miho!"

Fortunately, she landed on the loading ramp with ease.

"Man!" Saori said, as the Osprey-like aircraft flew away from the onslaught, and they all sat down. "At least the helipad is intact!"

BOOM!

Saori yelped, and they all looked down. A shell apparently struck the helipad, moments after takeoff.

"Phew!" Yukari gasped. "A few seconds later, and we're history!"

"Who's firing upon us?!" Saori screamed. "It's been a while since anybody even attacked us!"

She yelped again, as the pilot activated the V/STOL aircraft's weapons: a single autocannon and a rocket launching pad on each wing. Small explosions followed, as the pilot targeted some strange objects below.

"Get to the command center ASAP," Miho said in a resolute voice. "Our Norans need help."

Miho and her Anglerfish Team watched, as the bombardment continued. Miho sweated, as she saw thousands flee en masse. A shell struck a building, causing the people to duck down. A few jumped, avoiding the debris falling down.

"Oh zon," she admitted. "It has been a while, since our last fight decades ago."

They all continued to watch the mayhem, as firearms from both sides lighted up both sky and earth. More explosions ensued.

"Well," Hana said. "It looks like we can put our training to use."

"And kick some bad guys' butt!" Yukari squealed, manning a machine gun mount.

"It IS a long time since we last fought," Mako admitted. "Ever since the Unity Tower...fell..."

Everybody fell silent.

"Maybe this is a wake-up call," Miho said. "We better discuss after this. For now, no time to lose! Senshazons, get ready!"

Everybody nodded, and the pilot flew to a nearby military base.

"There!" Miho said, as she suddenly wore her parachute gear. "I gotta go!"

"Miporin!" Saori cried. "What are you doing?!"

"Saving the civilians," was all she replied, before sliding through the loading ramp, which was not fully closed.

"MIHO!" the screams of her friends faded away, as Miho dived down into the earth, then unleashed her parachute.

"Not again," Saori groaned.

"She always does that," Hana said.

More explosions appeared, but Miho now started to notice something. When the explosions first occurred, she and others assumed that they were from naval guns. However, Miho noticed that the shells were rather weak, causing at worst heavy damages to buildings, but not causing them to collapse. She also noticed that the explosions were not very big; they appeared to be mostly solid.

"Huh," Miho noted, as she landed on the ground. "Those are not from tanks; those are from primitive howitzers used on old ships."

"Attention!" the PA system blared. "Please remain calm, and flee as soon as possible to the nearest shelters and defense perimeters! Over!"

Sodoko's voice continued to echo, as Miho looked on. She saw most of the civilians fleeing, carrying anyone they could find.

Then, she saw them.

Some humanoid beings entered the streets, yelling some strange language, as they waved what Miho thought were short swords and handguns. Shouting some more, the short beings hit their strange mounts, which were on four long legs, and the "things" neighed.

Miho gasped.

"Ah!" she noted. "Horses! It's been a while since I've seen them! Those men are on horseback!"

Then, she noticed a police officer shooting at the men. Apparently, the men on horseback were either fearless, or plain stupid, because they started to stampede in the direction of the lone officer. Wasting no time, Miho then charged, partially running and partially leaping over cracks on the ground, as the shells continued to bombard from afar.

"Over here!" Miho said fearlessly, getting the attention of the men.

"Ni-Nishizumi-sensei!" the officer roared. "What are you doing?!"

"Saving everyone possible," was all she muttered, before Miho slammed into the horsemen. Horses neighed, taken aback by the sudden force of the lone girl.

"What the?!" the men suddenly roared, speaking something that Miho could understand. Apparently, the men did not expect such a huge amount of strength from a lone girl. Well, she was no ordinary girl.

"That's the one!" one of the men roared. "These witch-girls' leader! The Virago! Kill her!"

 _Uh-oh_ , Miho thought. _Well, there is no point of talking to these guys, and how do they know that I am Virago?_

Miho ducked down, avoiding a mace swung at her face. She then tripped the horses' legs, causing them to fall over, neighing in great pain.

 _There is no turning back now_ , she said to herself, as she jumped up, grabbed hold a man with a very ornate uniform (she correctly guessed that he was the leader), and wrestled with him. Sure enough, the other soldiers suddenly hesitated, reluctant to accidentally attack their own leader.

"Now!" Miho roared.

A few civilians nearby, all of them girls, immediately obeyed. They then jumped upon the soldiers, who did not anticipate the sudden turn of events. The men tried to wrestle, but these girls were no ordinary girls.

In fact, they were not really humans anyway.

"Mutants!" the men roared, struggling in vain. "Witch-girls! Female freaks!"

They were not totally wrong. The "mutants" were all girls, and were at least 30 cm taller than the men. They also were more attractive and more voluptuous than normal women. However, their faces were very youthful. They had other minor traits, which betray their "inhuman" nature.

The stronger girls eventually subdued the men, with Miho putting a chokehold with her right arm. With her left arm, she activated her volumetric displays, which appeared as 3-D "holographic" display screens.

"We have a few prisoners," Miho tried to talk, but the man struggled.

"**** you!" the leader cursed. "You ***ing amazons! You all-female freaks! You-"

 _Slam!_

Seeing that a few children were nearby, Miho decided to knock the man unconscious, in order to silence him. With help from others, she dragged the prisoners.

Suddenly, she heard a welcoming sound: the rumblings of tracks roaring on the streets.

"Nishizumi-sensei!" a number of girls shouted, donning military outfits, as they rode on colossal tanks.

"We finally have found you!" Saori shouted, as she and Miho's friends came in their own tank.

Miho smiled.

"Ready to fight?" Miho asked, as she handed the prisoners over. Despite the hustle and bustle around her, she calmly walked over to the one tank that she liked. Even though taking it out meant that there was a battle, it was the one that everybody in the state bonded over.

 **It was not the Panzer IV Ausf.H.; that was gone.**

 **"Our Crucigon tank," Miho said with a smile. "But it's been a while since we've faced real fight together."**

"We've dealt with this for years," Mako said. "But to be honest, this strange tank surprises even me still."

"But it's so COOL!" Yukari squealed. "Unlike our old one, this one has four tracks, four wheels, and one colossal turret!"

"I have to agree too," Hana said. "This feels more like a living fort, than a tank."

"But we have to deal with these invaders!" Saori yelled.

"Girls," Miho said, calming everyone down. "We first have to stop the invasion, then figure out from there. We don't know what's going on, but we first must save our state, our home: New Ooarai Republic. Mako-san, drive us to the fleet at the shore. Saori-san, contact the PA system. Hana-san, get the cannon ready. Yukari-san, ready the defense systems."

They all nodded, and did as told. Miho then pulled herself halfway out of the turret's cupola, and looked around.

It really felt weird; even after years of training, the new tank felt odd, for it was at least twice the size of their usual tank.

In fact, they found it while salvaging their landscape decades ago.

"Plus," Hana said, a little dreamily. "It's been decades, but we still look and feel quite youthful."

"Good thing!" Saori groaned. "Or else I would never have a boyfriend!"

"Shush!" Miho said. "Friends, let us focus on fighting off the invaders. We'll go from there, so let's go. Panzer vor."

The others nodded, and resumed. Miho looked out, and sighed.

"Here we go again," she said to herself, as she sighted another shell falling down.

She got up, standing on two legs on top of the turret. The cannon shell fell very rapidly, down right where Miho was. Stretching her arms, she eyed the projectile, then raised her left hand.

She caught it, just as it was about to fall.

"I knew it," she said to herself, inspecting her catch. "It's an old cannonball from a primitive howitzer. This means that the invaders were using inferior guns; well then, that makes it easy now. The hard part: what now?"

* * *

 **Well, welcome to my brand-new story!**

 **It's interesting to note that after only about a month, I decide to try out this story. This story is to try and put my research into good use. Yes, I have a lot more to come (pardon my cliffhanger), and the next chapter will explain some interesting questions raised from this chapter alone:**

 **(Spoilers if you're curious)**

 **1) Where are the girls now?**

 **2) How come the girls have their own state?**

 **3) What tank is Miho's team driving now?**

 **4) Who are they now?**

 **5) What will happen next?**

* * *

 **I give a shout-out to commanderstarscream123 for the XC-17 idea.**

 **This chapter is a testing work; I am still trying to make sure that this story is worth your time to read. Please review, PM, like, favorite etc.**

 **Thank you, and have a panzer-ful day!**


	2. Chapter 2: Operation Overkill

**Greetings from SeekerMeeker, again.**

 **Let's get through this.**

 **;)**

* * *

 **Girls und Krieg**

 **Chapter 2: Operation Overkill**

Miho stood on top of the tank, surveying the scenes.

"Not what I expected," she said to herself.

Although thousands were fleeing, the bombardment was not actually serious. As she suspected, all of the shells fired were merely solid balls of steel, strong enough to damage wooden structures, but not strong enough to break through walls and beams of **bio-steel** , a type of super-strong steel that was enchanted to semi-repair itself. Hence, whenever a shell hit a beam of steel, instead of breaking it, the shell fell down, and the beam gradually bent back into its normal shape. Hence, none of the buildings fell, but the more vulnerable parts of the buildings fell down easily, especially the numerous ornamental parts that decorated the buildings. Civilians fled, as thousands of glass shards, lamps, and crumpled paper objects fell down.

"Maybe we should think about reducing the number of decoration on our buildings," Miho noted to herself. "Other than that, I am glad that none of the buildings still fell; they are all strong."

"Of course," Saori said, overhearing her. "We're Japanese, after all. We are used to living in earthquake-prone zones."

 **"Formerly Japanese," Mako corrected her. "But we got so used to peace, that a sudden attack like this really shocked us."**

Suddenly, a shell fell down, causing a small crater a few meters away from Miho's right. Mako hiccuped, while Saori flinched.

"Miporin!" Saori screamed. "Can you come down?"

"Saori-san," Miho said, looking down. "Don't worry. These shells are not that bad; they're from primitive, medieval howitzers."

"Medieval?" Hana asked.

"Umm," Saori fidgeted, trying to think. "Ah, ancient ones, based on history books!"

"From the Middle Ages or so," Miho said.

"What?!" multiple voices echoed from beneath.

"I thought it was serious!" Saori gasped. "From such old cannons?! Now that you say it, they are NOT that strong..."

"Now that she mentions it," Hana said. "I am looking through the screens, and she is right: much of the damage is towards the poor hanging pots and flower gardens."

"This is no time to talk about flowers," Saori groaned, as another shell fell. Miho casually turned her head to the left, dodging the ball with ease. It struck the ground about 100 meters away.

BOOM!

"Zon!" Saori screamed. "Still, these shells sound dangerous! But they are weak."

"That makes sense," Mako said, as she drove the tank, which rumbled through the streets. "Now that I see from here, the shells are unusually weak. They are not even strong enough to cause our own houses to fall."

"Miporin," Saori said. "Even though it's safe now, please get in; just halfway should be good."

"Alright," Miho said, smiling. She got down, her torso still exposed, her head raised. She looked around, and patted the tank.

"The Crucigon tank," she noted with a smile.

* * *

 **Crucigon Tank**

 **(Remember: this one is now updated.)**

The Crucigon tank was now the tank of the Anglerfish Team. It was nothing like their original tank; unlike the Panzer IV Ausf H, this one was clearly a futuristic one. It has a clean sleek design, with very shiny, silver and pink plates contrasting with its metallic cobalt-blue stripes and plates. That was its default color, but in reality it could change according to the surroundings. It was also huge, with a length of 13.5 m, a width of 8.4 m, and a height of 6.3 m. It weighed a whopping total of 80 t, but it had a strange set of anti-gravity inducers (or anti-grav inducers), which allowed the tank to have the maneuverability, speed, and acceleration of a 40-t tank. It had four tracks and four wheels; the wheels stuck out between the tracks. The tracks were the "main four legs," which drove the tank. The wheels were more used as stabilizers, keeping the tank stabilized. However, if necessary, these wheels could produce their own tracks, thus becoming an extra set of tracks in case they were needed.

The interior of the Crucigon possessed enough space for a variety of computers, electronics, firing systems, small and large storage units and containers. The Crucigon's main guns were the triple 155-mm cannons, and all of them were 10 meters in length. Believe it or not, most tanks used by Miho and her friends and allies used guns of the 155-mm caliber. However, the Crucigon was distinct in having not one, but three of the cannons, mounted on a colossal turret, designed to handle the recoil from three cannons at once. Hence, the tank could strike very hard and very fast. Even crazier, this was just in its mobile mode. It had another form: the artillery mode.

When the Crucigon went into its artillery mode, the wheels transformed into legs, and the wheels had weird armor plates on them. They became claws, which kept the tank stable. Its triple 155-mm cannons then fused together into one single, 320-mm ultra-cannon, which fired colossal shells, which were specifically infused with an enormous amount of strange energy. Hence, whenever the Crucigon entered the battlefield, many of its enemies (especially those who witnessed it before) froze in fear at the mere sight of this tank.

Like most of the highly advanced tanks, it possessed a variety of systems, such as its highly digitized battlefield management system and a miniature holographic projection of the battlefield. However, due to its sheer size and advanced nature, the Crucigon also had an unusually large variety of weapons systems. Thus, each of the five members of the team was responsible for a specific station:

- **Miho Nishizumi** was still the commander, of both her team and the entire forces of her homeland. She was in charge of the main viewscreen, which showed her the surroundings of both her tank and her force's locations, and hence the main battle management system. It also showed her who was who, both in and out of combat. She also controlled the tank's main safety and "healthcare" systems, as well as a single weapons system: a multi-purpose railgun station, the only weapons station onboard with a railgun small enough to be used. She also controlled the tank's UGV construction module, which allowed the tank to create at least one Unmanned Ground Vehicle, which varied in designs. Mostly, however, the UGVs were based on the **RoBattle, the Guardium, and the AvantGuard UGVs of Israel** , except more advanced, better armored, and especially better armed for combat.

Inside, Miho and her teammates wore at least a special tiara-shaped headgear, which displayed information much like helmet-mounted displays; hers was a simple golden tiara with white wings and magenta flower ornaments. Her own headgear also had a pair of giant headphones, which had blue-and-gold butterfly wings sprouting out of them. Thus, Miho unintentionally stood out, as she was the only one in her team to wear two "wings" on her head; many civilians affably nicknamed her the " **Four-Winged Angel** " as a result (which embarrassed her). Saori, Hana, and Mako all wore headgear that looked like tiaras, themed after an actual tiara, flowers, and sweets respectively. Yukari was the only one who wore an actual helmet. Interestingly, this type of technology could not be replicated; any attempt to reverse engineer it fails miserably.

- **Saori Takebe** was still the radio operator; hence, she was in charge of the tank's main communications systems, such as its PA system and its radar system. Being the PR manager of the state, she was in charge of a special interface, which allowed her to directly control ALL of the PA systems in her homeland. She also controlled a weapons station that was responsible for smart mines, which were mobile explosives that scanned for targets.

- **Hana Isuzu** was still the gunner. Hence, she was in charge of the tank's main guns, both in mobile and in artillery modes. Being the President of the New Ooarai Republic, she had a direct link to the Lotus Office, which was the main governmental body structure in the entire state. In addition to the main guns, Hana controlled the four rocket pods onboard.

- **Yukari Akiyama** was still the loader, because the tank's giant cannons required manual loading. Being the Vice President of her state, she was in charge of many responsibilities related to the President; hence, her interface had some major connections to Hana's. She was in charge of the tank's more practical aspects, such as its self-repair mechanisms. She also controlled a weapons system, which controlled two machine guns and two drones that could fly and shoot.

- **Mako Reizei** was still the driver. Considered to be the smartest in her state, she was in charge of controlling the tank's complex driving system. Even Mako herself admitted that only a "true genius" could understand the tank's driving mechanisms, as it was more complex than "piloting a super-advanced plane." Indeed, Mako might be the only girl who could even drive it, as driving it required a careful, clever management of its four tracks and four wheels. She also was responsible for its distinct ramming cannon, which fired a very short but very fast projectile that essentially acted like a real battering ram. She also controlled its engines and jump jets, which allowed the tank to "jump" over rough terrains.

* * *

Wasting no time, Miho then pressed a button on her interface. Although her tank had limited space, due to something that Saori called a " **magical replicator** ," the UGV construction system already had a UGV ready to deploy, which looked like a blue-and-white themed Guardium but with a large radar disc. The tank opened a door through the rear, and the UGV went out.

"Saori-san," Miho said. "I have deployed the Radar UGV. You should be able to contact with Sodoko-san and others more easily."

BOOM!

Another shell struck nearby, and Miho sighed.

"How are things now?" Miho asked, as Saori successfully made contact.

"Casualties are very low," Sodoko spoke, her face appearing in Miho's interface screen. "The invaders succeeded in killing only 30 of our actual citizens, most of them young girls in their teens, all struck by falling debris from the buildings."

Miho shuddered.

"Our clone-girls deliberately got into the line of fire," Sodoko continued, unfazed. "Had it not been for them, we would have it worse."

Miho nodded grimly.

"We will have burial rituals ready for them," Hana said.

"Thank you," Miho said, finally able to smile.

"You took it quite well," Saori said, and Miho chuckled.

"We all have to," Miho said. "At least it could have been worse; we've been through worse than this."

"But why so low?" Mako asked. "I was expecting a lot more, based on the explosions."

"They were primitive shells," Miho explained. "They do not cause explosions, but the explosions came from the pipes that caused reactions from the impacts. We better check our pipes later, but good thing that our death toll is low."

BOOM!

"And we better focus," Miho said. "Girls, let us focus."

Everybody nodded, and Miho rapidly touched and managed the interface, and scanned the areas. Sure enough, her system revealed that the bombardments originated from the coast, and three ships were firing.

"They look like old galleons," Miho admitted. "Huh, only three? Why so cute and small?"

"It is rare for you to comment like that," Hana replied. "But I cannot blame you; it is odd for such a small fleet to attack us with their cannons."

 **"It's like trying to fight tanks with swords and arrows," Mako bluntly replied, as the tank rolled on. "Like a famous anime, where some imperial and allied medieval-age soldiers tried to assault modern-day Japan. That was stupid."**

"And these invaders," Yukari noted, watching her own interface from her helmet-display. "Are obviously ill-prepared. What are they even attacking us for?"

"It looks like they are the only ones to fire," Mako interjected. "There are no enemies on the ground, so all of the attacks are from the ships."

BOOM!

This time, the shell struck right in front of the tank, and the tank rumbled to a halt.

"They found us," Mako bluntly said.

"Back!" Miho commanded, and the tank reversed a few meters back, just as another shell struck right where the tank was.

Boom-boom-boom!

"And here come some of our forces," Miho said, smiling. "They are already firing back."

Sure enough, at the coast, from her screen (displayed via the tiara-mounted displays), Miho noticed large groups already firing. Six platoons of tanks were already firing at the ship, but deliberately missing; they were firing warning shots. Miho had the real authority to tell them to shoot on sight.

 **"They are the only tanks at the coast," Miho noted. "Raio, Merkava Mk.5 Lev Ruach, Xabra, K3 Zainichi, Reapard, and Oklo. They will definitely be considered after this fight."**

 **"Oh boy!" Yukari squealed with delight. "Raio, based on the Osorio main battle tank of Brazil! Merkava Mk.5 Lev Ruach, the fearsome tank based on the Merkava of Israel! Xabra, our version of the Sabra tank of Israel! K3 Zainichi! That cool tank based on the cool one from Korea! Oh boy, I hate to admit this, but the Koreans sure beat us to making a better tank-don't get me in trouble about this, please! Reapard and Oklo, the tanks we got from our friends and allies, modified for our own use**!"

"And they are all quite reliable and ready to fight," Miho said. "But good thing: the ships are now distracted. Mako-san, please drive us to the Observation Hill."

She nodded, and after about a mile, the tank rested on top of a hill, which overlooked the coast that was being bombarded. From here, the tank was clearly visible to the three ships (which was deliberate), as it raised a flag, which had her state's symbol:

It was her state's old school logo, consisting of two kanji signs, stylized together to resemble the Balkenkreuz (Bar Cross). Colored white and blue, it was superimposed on top of a simple but lovely lotus symbol, colored pink and red. The whole flag's background was white.

"Attention!" Miho called out, which was a signal to Saori. She activated her PA system, which connected Miho's voice to all of the PA at the coast, and directed at the enemies in the sea. "This is Commander Nishizumi Miho, the commander-in-chief of the Senshadou Forces of New Ooarai Republic! We desire peace, not war, at our capital city! Please cease fire, and we will cease! Girls, stop the fire!"

All six platoons stopped firing. Soon, Miho noticed three new platoons appearing. This time, they were composed of artilleries, although they did not shoot.

 **"Oh boy!" Yukari squealed again. "The GX Rhino, based on the G6 Rhino self-propelled gun-howitzer from South Africa! Look! Our famous Sholef Gadol, the 'Great Slammer' self-propelled gun with its colossal 275-mm cannon! It's based on a Sholef prototype artillery from Israel! And my favorite artillery, if it had tracks: the Boxer RCH 210 NOR based on a model from Germany!"**

"Panzer high," Miho said sternly, causing her to deflate. "This is serious business, sorry to say it, but wait. Attention!"

She turned back to the PA, focusing on the three ships, who also stopped firing for a few seconds.

"Please cease fire," she commanded. "We have ceased our own, so please cease yours. Let us have a proper talk, so that we can-"

BOOM!

From one of the galleons, a particularly giant cannon, a 300-mm one, burst, and a giant crater appeared about 100 meters away to the left side of Miho's position. The hill suffered a massive battle scar, with a crater to show where the shell fell.

"...have a friendly chat," Miho finished. "Please, let us-"

BOOM!

Another shot burst, this time about 30 m away from her position.

"Can we just hit them?" Sodoko's voice echoed. "We cannot get our own personal tanks in time, but these platoons are ready to hit them!"

"One more time!" Miho shouted, louder this time. "Please hold your-"

BOOM!

This time, the cannonball partially hit. It scraped the front left track, causing it to dent. Shrapnels exploded out, and Miho shielded herself with her railgun turret's shield. After a few seconds, a flying drone came out, and scanned and repaired the damaged part.

"I gave you three chances," Miho said, this time with a very serious tone. "And you did not let me finish."

"Wait!" a voice suddenly blared from her interface, and a face of one of the tank commanders appeared. "I hear a voice!"

"Sorry!" Miho heard a faint voice from her headgear. "We DID hear you, but I am on the ship with the red flag and-uf!"

The voice got caught off, and the girls could hear scuffles and some profanity.

"It's a radio signal," Saori said curtly.

Miho reached out her neck, still halfway exposed. She then pressed a button on her tiara, which activated its binocular system. Her sight zoomed in, and saw a ship with a red flag, and some men trying to subdue someone with radio equipment.

"So they know what they are doing," Yukari said, sweating.

"Yes," Miho said. "Attention, commanders and captains. Do not lay a hand on the galleon with the red flag. For the other two: fire without mercy."

The almost cold tone of the last part sent shivers down everyone in the tank; even Hana shivered once.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

Miho then shook her head, as six platoons, each with 12 tanks, and three platoons of self-propelled artilleries, each with eight of their own, mercilessly bombarded the two ships. Although the two ships appeared to be 108 m long and had a lot of steel welded onto their sides, they were no match for 72 tank shells and 24 artillery shells. They were no ordinary shells either; unlike normal shells, they were more fit for naval guns; **her state's tanks fired 155-mm rounds, while the artilleries fired 210-mm ones.**

In only seven seconds, the two ships were reduced to floating masses, literally shredded into tiny pieces. The sea was now littered with floating timber pieces, with no survivors apparently. From her post, Miho could tell that the crew onboard the only ship floating was panicking. After trying to bombard the city, the sudden turn of events shocked them.

"I see mutiny onboard," Mako noted.

The others looked. Sure enough, the original man who radioed them then rallied up the rest of the crew, who turned on their captain.

"I get another radio signal!" Saori said.

Miho listened in, and a few cracked voices blared:

"Captain!" a young man's voice blared. Miho gasped; it was the same man who radioed the girls about his ship.

"We declare mutiny!" he boomed, as cheers came from his side. "We are tired of being 'cannon fodder' at the hands of these amazons!"

"Traitors!" the captain's voice echoed from Miho's display earphones. "These witch-girls must be taught a lesson, and you all turn against me!"

"Excuse us?!" multiple voices roared.

"They were far better coordinated than we expected!" a rough voice boomed from the radio. "These were not the random works of the stupid demons, but deliberate, prudent efforts of a civilized people, who warned us before firing on us! That's the mark of a noble soul, not the words of a savage!"

"Fools!" the captain's voice blared. "They are just puny girls with giant tanks! We have our own, which will come later!"

"Come later my butt," was the last words from the radioer, before shots rang out.

Miho then craned her neck, using her binocular system on her headgear. Zooming in, she saw that the captain still had a few loyal companions, who fought against the raging horde of those who mutinied. However, the mutinous crew included some very large, muscular men, who soon wrestled down the few loyal to the captain, and then turned against the captain himself. Despite his efforts, the captain found himself down unto the deck's floor, with the men wrestling away his weapons. After subduing him, they dragged him with force, although he kept bawling something. The original radioer-turned leader then signaled something, and three men raised a white flag.

"Victory!" multiple voices echoed from Miho's interface, although Miho herself kept a cool face.

"We apologize for the sudden attack," the radioer called back.

She smiled.

"That's alright," Miho replied. "At least you all take ownership of what had happened. You will still have to answer to the 30 citizens who lost their lives here, but I personally believe that you may be innocent. Stay there, and keep your ship anchored. Our naval managers will survey your position, in order to determine how many people died from your side."

"Roger that," the radioer answered grimly. "My condolences, but we have heard about clone-girls."

"We will discuss that later," Miho said. "For now, we have to rebuild our city, and discuss everything that happened today."

"Thank you," the radioer said. "Oh, and Miss Virago, I am James Polo, one of the vice captains aboard. We are actually hired mercenaries, who were forced into this type of warfare. My apologies."

"Apologies accepted," Miho replied through her displays. "But we'll talk later. This is Commander-in-chief Nishizumi Miho, signing out."

"Signing out," James Polo answered, before turning off.

"Let's find out who they are," Miho said. "I am now curious. James Polo and his men sure looked and sounded like some foreigners we could trust."

"Hopefully so," Mako said.

* * *

Minutes after, small ships, each armed with a single tank on top instead of an actual turret, surrounded the lone galleon. Some of them, however, scoured the waters, removing the debris and cleaning up. After a while, one of them gave the code, confirming that the galleon was responsible for none of the losses.

"Apparently," Miho noted, as she and her friends relaxed on their tank, while driving down the roads. "James Polo and most of the men had a change of heart, and deliberately missed. They fired mostly into the empty streets. Only the other two galleons actually fired at buildings and crowded streets. Thus, they got what they deserved. May the 30 souls of our girls rest in peace."

The five girls then bowed in the direction of a specific site, where the volunteers were organizing the bodies of the fallen. All except five were there; the others were in the process of being carried there. Suddenly, Miho noticed something:

 **A single girl was walking to the site, carrying a body between her arms. Like the other fallen, the body was covered in a white cloth, with the symbol of the girl's state on it. What caught Miho's eyes, however, was the fact that she was the only one doing that, while the other four were being carried on stretchers.**

 _I hope they're not related,_ Miho thought. _Boy, that looks both scary and very sad. But we girls don't do that, carrying a body like that, unless it's someone they personally knew and were close to. I hope not._

"I am glad!" Saori said out aloud, snapping Miho out of her thoughts.

"Sorry?" Miho asked, joining in.

"Boy, imagine if we had to mete out the hardest punishment possible!" Saori groaned. "But who are they, to attack us so brazenly?"

"Nishizumi-sensei!" Sodoko's face spoke, appearing on Miho's displays. "We have gathered up the last of the surviving crew. We count 57 of them, including the captain. While they are not responsible for the loss of our 30 citizens, they did put others at risk."

"We will think about the punishments later," Miho said. "For now, this is the task of President Hana."

"But you are the one to judge," Hana said. "Since you are responsible for situations like this, we do not mind listening to your verdict."

"It's too early to decide," Miho said, sweating a little. "However, let's join the crowd there."

About 10,000 people, all girls, crowded in, eyeing the spectacle before them. All 57 men lined up. Most were fidgeting, visibly unnerved by the curious eyes of the girls before them.

"I cannot blame them," Miho admitted, as her tank neared the shore. "It has been decades since we last saw a man here."

The tank stopped, and all five girls went out. They then walked towards the spectacle, but as soon as they appeared, the rest of the crowd moved away, allowing them to pass through, as if they were royalty. Of course, the Anglerfish Team was the leader of the leaders at the state, and everybody in the state knew that. Even the men tensed up, as they recognized that they were facing the leaders of the very state that they attacked. The Anglerfish Team then stopped right in front of the men, standing with other military personnel, including their friends.

" **Four-Wing Angel!** " a good number of voices cheered, causing her to blush.

"Wow," Yuzu said, eyeing the men. "They sure look nice."

"Do I look a little slim?" Shinobu said, looking down at herself. "I hope I am good enough for men."

"Oh boy!" Karina squealed. "Men! It's been SOOOO long!"

"It's like from the mythical history of the Greeks," Caesar said, observing the men carefully. "We are the Amazons, and they are the Gargareans."

"That's right!" her teammates answered.

Miho giggled. Even after decades, all of her teammates of the old Senshadou club were still themselves, except taller, stronger, and dressed differently. All of them wore what looked like fancy military uniforms, except with sleek, futuristic-looking armor plates and linings. Some had frilled skirts, while others wore tight skirts; some even wore actual hotpants. This time, all of them wore some emblems of their teams: Anglerfish, Turtle, Duck, Hippo, Rabbit, Mallard, Anteater, Leopon, and even Shark. All of the original 37 members of the Senshadou club at their old Ooarai school were now leaders-no, more than just leaders.

The men were right to call them **Virago**.

"Who are you?" one of the men suddenly shouted, only to be elbowed by his mates. Miho giggled.

"That's what we should be asking," Miho replied. "So, Before we introduce ourselves, who are you?"

"She's a little too nice to be the leader here," one of the men mumbled. Unfortunately for him, she and others had sharp ears, and they heard him loud and clear. Some of the girls started to crack their knuckles.

"Hold your tongue," Sodoko said sternly. "But I do not blame you; we are not technically humans, but we still have our standards."

"My apology for that," James Polo said, coming forward. "But we now are technically outcasts. Our captain was really working with some shady organization, who is too secretive for our taste. We are actually members of the Free Sea Company, a company that focuses on providing men like us to the services of anyone who desires a good fleet. Well, what is left of ours."

"What happened?" Miho asked. Some of the men gulped; they were not used to a girl, a girl who was not only a leader, but also one who spoke so kindly and so innocently.

"They actually tricked us," James Polo said with a sigh (his eyes glanced up and down at Miho). "Apparently, in their contracts, they expected us to obey the captain of their choice, instead of allowing us to decide. Our so-called captain here then forced us to fire, on pain of death. Fed up with him, we decided to mutiny."

"So you all are just mercenaries," Miho noted. "Who were forced into some type of secret service that lacked transparency."

"Correct," James Polo said. "But now, our ship is badly damaged from crossing the seas. We originally had 20, but only three survived."

The girls around them talked in a low voice. They could tell that the captains were both stupid and foolhardy.

"Despite that," James said with a sigh. "The captains, hired by that secret, stupid company, forced us to fire at you all, even though we have heard rumors about your firepower. Now, seeing that you all are powerful and dangerous, we surrendered."

 **"That is an honorable act," Miho said. "There is a time to fight, and a time to make peace, even surrender. You all are the only ones to reconsider and rethink what you all are thinking. Because of this, on my honor as the Commander-in-chief Virago, you all are pardoned, free of charge."**

 **Sodoko audibly groaned, but most others shrugged and accepted it. Miho was the kind to say that, and since the surviving crew did not really murder anyone, none objected to her apparently easy verdict.**

"But if you are mercenaries," Miho said. "Then what are you all going to do?"

"We have no choice but to go back," James Polo said. "But our ship is in bad shape; we need a new one."

"We have one ready," Miho said, pointing to a ship already in the wharves. It was a galleon that looked like the one used by the survivors. However, it was heavily modified, with a lot of armor and two giant engines at the back.

"That is a galleon from long ago," Miho said. "We took control of it, and modified it to suit our tastes. You all can use that to go back home. However, those engines are actually drones, which will detach and return back to us, if possible."

"Thank you," the men answered with a deep bow.

"We cannot thank you enough," James Polo said, as the men dragged the former captain. "With him down, I am the true captain now."

"What are you all going to do with him?" Miho asked.

"That's not for us to answer," James said with a stern face. "He did something that technically should be judged by the mercenary companies. Well, that's a human thing, but who are you all?"

Miho smiled.

"It is odd for you all to say that," Miho answered. **"We are still humans, or formerly humans. We are Senshazons, a group of girls who now practice a unique type of warfare called Senshadou, or the Art of Tank Warfare. But how do you all know about us? You all apparently knew about us a little, such as our coast and calling me Virago."**

"We were among the very first to discover your lands," James said. "In reality, our forces are trying to set up base, in order to find another continent we're looking for."

"A new continent?" the girls asked.

"We are not only mercenaries," James said. "But also explorers. This whole world is so vast, that we wanted to explore its very mysteries. And one of the most famous is Alfaria, the continent of elves."

Miho became uneasy, and looked around. The others also fidgeted.

"And we really want to find them," James said, unaware of the girls' atmosphere. "We've heard that elves are among the oldest, most powerful peoples on this planet of Alterra, our home of homes. We are currently looking for them, and their homeland, in order to learn more about them."

"Actually," Miho said, with a sheepish grin while fidgeting. "You already found it, and they're gone."

The men blinked.

"Eh? What?!

* * *

 **Next chapter will be a comprehensive "backstory guide" to who the Senshazons are, what happened, how they got here etc.**

 **So, since I have already listed questions in the first chapter, I will answer them all very succinctly:**

 **1) Our GuP girls are now in Senshazonia, a continent that was formerly Alfaria (as implied above).**

 **2) The girls, not just Ooarai, created their own states, in order to both survive and thrive. How they ended up here will be explored in the next chapter.**

 **3) Miho and her team drive the Crucigon, a type of tank whose history will be explored in the next chapter.**

 **4) Miho and her girls are now Senshazons, a group of superhuman amazons. The name is a fusion of "Senshadou" and "Amazon."**

 **;)**

 **5) Tune in to the next chapter.**

 **The Crucigon tank is based on three types of tanks: the Baneblade from Warhammer 40k, the M808B "Scorpion" tank from Halo, and the Crucio siege tank of Starcraft II. However, it should mostly look like the Crucio, but with traits of the others. While the original Crucio has six tracks, the Crucigon has four, replacing the extra two tracks with four wheels. In other words, if you see a picture of the Crucio, replace the extra two tracks (which jutted out) with wheels.**

 **This Crucigon is something I had in mind for a while. One main influence was actually a fanart of the Anglerfish Team driving a Crucio, by zhongye yu.**

 **Mako's remark about the bad cannons is a reference to a famous anime known as "** **Gate: Jieitai Kano Chi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri."**

 **Saori's reference to a "magical replicator" is a nod to Star Trek.**

 **Miho's headgear is based on two things from a game called Aura Kingdom: butterfly earphones and a tiara with wings from Eirene, one of the characters from that game.**

 **I give a shout-out to commanderstarscream123 for his contribution to the Crucigon, and for helping me with some writing, such as checking grammar.**

* * *

 **Reviews, criticisms etc. are appreciated, and thank you for all your support.**

 **I hope these are good enough, and have a panzer-ful day!**


	3. Chapter 3: On Our Origins

**Welcome back!**

 **So, this is basically an exposition time! As usual, most stories introduce the story's setting, environment, peoples etc. in the beginning. So now, you all may wonder who the girls are now, where they are etc.**

 **This is the time. Let us begin:**

* * *

 **Girls und Krieg**

 **Chapter 3: On Our Origins**

 **Three days later in the morning...**

"Well," Miho said. "Is this enough for you?"

"Yes, Miss Virago."

"Just call me Nishizumi Miho, please."

"Miss Four-Winged Angel~"

"Oh please!"

"Hehe, you are so nice."

Miho gave the men a curtsy, as the last men entered the ship. The semi-ironclad galleon, with its renovated sails and even a few funnels or ship chimneys on top. Like most ships the girls found, this one resembled a European galleon, except larger and more ironclad. The men readied their galleon, revving up the engines.

Brrr...brr...brrrrr!

The galleon had two pairs of engines, and both were working. However, the drone engines were doing much of the work, so that the ship's original engines could be spared the effort.

"Is it good?" Miho called out.

"Yes!" James Polo shouted back. "Anything else we need?"

"Do you?" Miho asked.

"Nope!" he said, after turning to listen to his men.

Miho nodded, and he smiled.

"Set sail!" James roared, and the ship revved up its engines. In only seven seconds, the ship then bolted out, the waves scattering from its hull. Two small ships, each with a tank on top, then followed it. Not far behind, two more tanks appeared, this time riding on the waves, with the men pointing at them with excitement.

"I guess they have never seen amphibious light tanks," Saori noted, pouting. "But oh boy, I wish we had a few with us! I wonder how it feels like being married to men?"

"It has been a long time," Hana said, gazing at them. "But they were interesting. Their privates were small, though."

The others stared at her.

"Ah, my apologizes," Hana said, as if she was dreaming. "I was so curious, so I peeked into their spaces."

"You're not alone," a few girls sighed. Then, the girls all laughed.

Over 20,000 girls gathered around, watching the ship go away. A good number of girls, on both ships and amphibious vehicles, rode into the sea, trying to wave and photograph the men. The men waved and cheered, while the girls reciprocated. Indeed, the girls had a blast with the men, but most were already married, so the girls respected them. The men remarked on how chaste the girls were, and the girls noted that the men did indeed miss their families, and respected them.

"Can girls be perverts?" Yukari asked innocently. Unlike most girls, she was too interested in tanks to take an interest in boys, especially back as a normal human girl.

"I miss them," Saori admitted. "But yeah, it's strange that although we have our own ways, such as parthenogenesis and other forms of reproduction impossible for humans, we still have a sense of being normal girls, wanting to fall in love with normal boys."

"You mean mostly us Virago and the oldest girls here," Miho said, looking at the ship, as it disappeared in the horizon. "We are the only ones who actually lived in a world where we were normal girls. Over 99% of our girls here, however, grew up without knowing that world.

"So Nishizumi-dono," Momo said, fixing her monocle. "Our...guests are now off to their homelands. We have finished our funerals, the public side. We are in the process rebuilding, which should take only a few hours; our construction-mages are working hard. The only thing is now to go to the Lotus Office."

Miho nodded.

"Let's go," Miho said. The girls went into their own tanks, and sped off towards the Lotus Office.

Miho then sighed, and looked up at the sky.

"It's been only three days," Miho admitted. "But so many have happened..."

* * *

 **Two days ago...**

"So let us begin," Miho said.

They were now having dinner, with buffet lines that stretch for blocks on end. The marketplace temporarily became one colossal dining hall, with a lot of hustle and bustle. Some were chefs, who worked hard to keep the buffet displays full. Some kept checking the food, in order to ensure that everything was alright. Most girls, however, were casually chatting and eating. A good number sat down with the men, having a blast with them. James Polo, now the leader, however, sat down with the Anglerfish Team, who had their own table.

"I am surprised that you all have this," James admitted, relishing his plate of barbecued meat. "Hmm! What's this?!"

"Burgoki or bulgogi," Saori said. "It's a special type of barbecue and cooking from a nation called South Korea. It's very popular."

"And sorry if I ask," he said. "But I am surprised that you all do this after the funerals we had."

"We generally are big on moving on," Miho explained solemnly. "We already had our public funerals, which you have seen us."

"It was both amazing and noble," he admitted, with a sigh. "That you care each and every one of them."

Miho nodded. On the day of the victory, the girls hosted a public funeral for all of the girls who lost their lives. To the surprise of the men, the girls showed much forgiveness, stating that they were innocent, and were willing to make amends. Hence, the girls reciprocated by being nice towards them. James Polo, representing the crew, even came forward to publicly apologize, and the families nodded in approval. Although the men were pardoned by Miho, the men decided to stay in jail for the night, in order to show their remorse. In the morning, however, the girls took them out, stating that they did enough.

"And the families of the fallen," Miho said, as she ate her own portion of sweet-and-sour barbecued meats. "Want us to move on, so we decided to give them their own mourning times. And thank you for showing your remorse by staying in jail.

"You're welcome," James replied. "That's the least we can do, since we all have confessed and apologized. And thank you for allowing us to do so."

"No problem," Miho replied with a smile.

"At least they easily forgive us," James Polo admitted. "The families. Normally, humans have a hard time forgiving, but girls surprisingly take it well."

"We do not like to hold grudges," Miho said. "For us Senshazons, we find it easier to move on, when we forgive our enemies. Plus, since you men were remorseful, the process of mourning actually went well. So, thank you."

"Thank you," James said, sighing in relief. "But yes, we have so much to learn about your people."

"Good point," Saori admitted with a sigh of relief. "And yours, too."

Momo, who was passing by, cleared her throat audibly. Miho blinked and nodded, as she knew what she and other Senshazons wanted her to do.

"Alright," Miho said. "Since you all are coming back to your company, I have agreed that we will talk about who we are, and the basics of our existence and all. I trust that you will tell the truth, right?"

James nodded, but Miho noticed Anzu give her the looks.

"Ah!" Miho said. "Hana-san, I believe that it's your turn."

"Huh?"

"The oath," Miho said.

"Oh," Hana said a little absentmindedly. "Ah, do you swear that you will tell them the truth?"

"I swear that the testimony that I shall give to my Free Sea Company...ah, I swear that the testimony I shall give to my Free Sea Company, one of many mercenary companies, shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me Craton."

"Craton?" the girls asked.

"Our religion there," James said. "It's hard to explain, but technically, we use 'Craton' more out of habit, rather than out of respect for that religion's god. But you girls say...?"

"So help us God," they said.

"God?" James asked. "I thought you girls worship a goddess? And to invoke the name so bluntly?"

"We'll explain," Miho said. "Alright, so each of us will explain at least one thing about who we are, so I hope it's not much sermonizing...and we'll also explain about what happened to Alfaria. So, let's begin":

* * *

 **Senshazons I**

"We were formerly just normal human girls," Miho began the first lecture (although she wants to try and keep everything simple and short, which is easier said than done). "Back on our old planet Earth-no, we lived in an Earth, from a different part of the universe, dimension, or...sorry, it's all confusing, but we lived in a type of Earth, where we were normal highschool girls. It was a world where we lived on top of colossal ships called school ships, which is what you all have heard. Yes, we still have them, but they are docked in a different part of the state, and we have upgraded them."

"However, one day, we were doing our practice match, in which we were adepts at a unique type of sport. Apparently, nobody else practices it except us: Senshadou. It is a type of sport, in which girls at the age of high school and above drive tanks older and more primitive than what we have now."

"What?!" James Polo gasped, almost gagging. "W-wait, girls as young and small as our teens drive tanks that large and dangerous?"

"Shush!" a few girls hissed at him. In their culture, it was rude to interrupt a Virago.

"Don't worry," Miho said. "He's a human man from a different nation. So yes, we came from a different planet, like most people on this mysterious Earth-planet called Alterra. Plus, the reason why they shushed you is because of respect for Virago. In general, we Virago are political, social, cultural, and even religious leaders of our states. We are almost like gods, in a way. But not really, but more like queens in a hive, or something like that. It's hard to explain, but generally we are still learning about ourselves and the world around us."

"Agreed," James replied. "I mean, Alterra is so mysterious, which is why we're exploring it. And we explore for peoples like you. People like you suddenly appearing? Not uncommon."

"But anyway," Miho said, sweating a little that the conversation deviated. "We were just having a friendly match with our friends from various schools. Yes, our state is based on a school, but we'll explain soon. Long story short, some portals suddenly opened up, and we ended up...sucked in maybe? But seconds before that happened, everything froze, as if even time stopped."

"Yes," James interjected (a few girls wanted to shush him, but Miho was kindly listening). "That is actually common among many people's myths in Alterra, so that it is one of the few things that we humans consider as actual fact: those who end up in Alterra from other places enter via special portals."

"Only to get stuck here," Mako interjected, causing the others to sigh. "And we cannot return back. All of the portals then closed, and none of our magic can reopen them."

"But we have made the most of what we can," Miho said. "So, for us and others, whom we won't discuss now due to some promises I made, we were just doing our Senshadou matches, when we ended up here. At first, we were all panicking and scared. However, some of us decided to make the most of our situations. We found ourselves only a few miles away from a distant city."

"Wait a minute," James said, ignoring glares from a few girls behind him. "You mean..."

Miho nodded.

"Places where we originated from," Miho said. "Were places where portals opened up, and then closed. Most of them were destroyed by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, so that we had to move on (I guess whoever opened them wanted us to stay, ehehe...). Long story short, our people discovered the city, and it was abandoned. From there, we decided to set it up as our base, since it had some infrastructure in place. And that was where we found the elves."

"The elves!" James gasped, getting up. His action and voice both drew the attention of his crew, and many other girls, who frowned at him for his rude interruption.

"That is where I will explain," Miho said, gesturing to the girls to forgive him and let him go. "And this is how we originate: we were just normal human girls, who ended up in Alterra via mysterious portals. From here, we found ourselves on Alfaria, the continent where elves originally dwelt. However, we found out special altars, which awoke the spirits of the elves, who charged us to help them have peace of rest. We accepted them, and used our tanks and whatever weapons we had, including magic granted to us by the elves, to eliminate the orcs, goblins, and other unfortunately evil creatures that caused destruction upon Alfaria.

"And you are free to ask me," Miho quickly said, as she noticed that he wanted to ask.

"OK!" James said, furiously jotting down notes, before gasping for breath. "So, you Senshazons were ordinary girls, transformed into much, MUCH better versions of yourselves, right?"

"Right," Miho said.

"And how did the spirits of the elves even trust you?" he asked. "Elves are not the kind who like to listen to lowly races like humans."

"They actually did not view us as humans," Miho admitted.

"Eh?!" James gasped.

"They saw us riding on our tanks," Miho said. "Which the elves interpreted as what they call 'amazons and elves who ride on horses of metal and fire.' Perhaps because of their remorse, which was apparent in their realization of their stubborn nature, the elves blessed us, granting us what little magic they had. With that, we kept our promise, and went on a continent-wide eradication program, in which we eliminated all of the orcs and goblins."

"How is that possible?" James asked.

"They are surprisingly easy to lure," Miho admitted. "We simply rode our tanks, and the tanks lured them like magnets. Apparently, from one of the orcs smart enough to talk to us, whom we took as prisoner, the orcs and goblins both knew of a prophecy of 'metal-riders,' who will finally annihilate of all of them for good."

"No wonder," James said, whistling in approval. "You girls helped the elves, and the elves gave you their blessings and magic in return. Plus, those orcs were stupid enough to try and attack your war machines."

"And that is not all," Miho said. "We encountered dwarves too."

"Dwarves?!" James gasped, causing other men to look at him.

"Dwarves live in the same continent as elves?!" he gawked (the others behind him gasped in response). "I-I thought that they lived in a separate homeland, because the two hated each other!"

"They did hate each other," Miho said. "But they actually lived in the same continent; don't ask me why. And that's why they were remorseful. After they helped to drive each other to extinction, even the spirits of the dwarves realized their folly, and repented of their ways. We woke their spirits via their forges, which were their holiest sites, and they charged us to help restore their treasures, which the orcs and the goblins stole. Long story short, after more eradication, we brought them the treasures, which we had no use for. The spirits were enthralled, but I told them about the elves. To my surprise, they showed remorse, and wanted to make amends with them. We brought the spirits together, and the elves and the dwarves reconciled, which was beautiful."

"Beautiful indeed," James said. "Although it's sad that they reconciled as spirits, at least they all can now rest in peace."

Miho nodded solemnly.

"Both then called us to bury them," she said. "And we Senshazons did. Before departing for their own realms, both the elves and the dwarves gave everything that they could. And that is one reason for our fame: as you can see, our architecture is a fusion of the magical beauty of the elves, and the practical, strong nature of the dwarves."

"No wonder it was hard to knock your buildings down," James admitted. "Plus, some of us men complained about destroying such beautiful structures as well."

"Apology accepted as usual," Miho said.

"And you are one of the main leaders," James said. "In fact, it was you who convinced both races to make amends."

Miho blinked, her jaws slightly open.

"How did you..." she trailed off.

"I am also a scholar," James admitted. "Once, though, but with some experience as detective as well. But I read enough books to learn about the elves and the dwarves. They had the potential to dominate the world of Alterra, but blew it. They split up, fought against each other, split up, and maintained the vicious cycle, until they all became extinct. In remorse, the souls of the elves and the dwarves pledged that anyone could 'solve the unsolvable' will gain complete blessings from them. According to our ancient tomes, this was achieved by the works of 'angels from another planet,' led by one with four wings."

Miho blushed bright red at that one. The wings on her head fluttered, which they did in reaction to Miho's feelings.

"That was an obvious clue," James said. "I kept that in mind, and I saw you, Your Commandership Miho, with four wings on your head. Speaking of that, how did that end up?"

 **"It really was something others wanted me to wear," Miho admitted. "The elves and the dwarves also told me to make something to represent both. Apparently, the dwarves loved to wear crowns with avian wings, which is how I end up with my tiara with wings. The butterflies were sacred to the elves, so they wanted me to wear them, so I ended up wearing a set of headphones with butterfly wings."**

"And thanks to our sweet four-winged girl," James said. "You Senshazons pacified the souls of the elves and the dwarves, and gained both of their blessings. And that is how you all became Senshazons."

"Correct," Miho said with a smile. Suddenly, she blushed, and her wings fluttered again, this time as if nervous.

"So-sorry," she said. "Sorry that I took so long. I spoke a lot more than I intended to."

"No-no-no," the men replied, bowing at her.

"You have helped us greatly," James said, writing down on his notes. "So, in order to make sure that I understand: **you Senshazons originally were normal humans, who entered via strange portals into this planet of Alterra. Here, you girls eventually helped the original elves and dwarves on Alfaria to make amends, which must have been hard, and helped to avenge their enemies, such as the orcs and the goblins, who are also extinct. As a result, you all gained the positive traits from both races, and that was how you all became Senshazons, and how Alfaria became the continent of Senshazons, known as Senshazonia.** Am I correct?"

All of the girls around him nodded.

"And we have more," Miho said, nodding to Saori.

"And it's my turn!" Saori said, stretching herself. "Another lesson: ourselves, but more in depth!"

* * *

 **Senshazons II**

"We are known as Senshazons," Saori said, standing up and waving with her hands as if dancing. "A combination of two words: 'Senshadou' or the way of tank warfare, and the Amazons. Hence, we are super-powerful humanoid beings, who have an unusual affinity with our tanks and military vehicles. Like elves, we can utilize magic to a great degree, and retain all of their attributes, such as agility and speed. Like dwarves, we are great with crafting and artistry, and have their best, such as strength and resistance to alcohol. Like both, we are powerful warriors, which are a given."

 _It's obvious that she's trying to avoid being interrupted by James_ , Miho thought, smiling sheepishly. _I can tell, because she's deliberately dancing a little, in order to force the men to focus on her. Are they even listening to her?_

She peeked, and saw that James was focused on writing down, so he was paying attention.

"As a result of our blessings from both," Saori said, smiling at her audience of men. "We have the very best of both elves and dwarves, who also have directed us to mysterious shrines, which also granted us new powers, such as the ability to have babies without having any relation with men, and that is one main reason for how and why we can survive as a people. We also have other more common ways, but due to privacy and...taboos about talking about sex and all, I will gloss that over, since you men may be unnerved."

The men flinched, and imagined the worst possible of what Saori meant. Miho decided to NOT imagine what the men were thinking.

"In other words," Saori said. "We Senshazons now are as graceful and magical as elves, and as strong and durable as dwarves, and more. We are much more fertile and more flexible than both, which is why we now dominate. Unknown to both, however, we have discovered a tiny tribe of orcs, who were unusually noble and focused on honor. They told us that all of the orcs and goblins were a shell of their former selves, and helped us to destroy the very last remnant, and it was them who destroyed all except the last orc and the last goblin. Miho and her older sister both slew them. Before the fight, however, Miho wanted to fight the goblin, so that her sister could fight against the orc. However, her sister told her that 'true honor' went to Miho, since it was she who allied with the orcs. And yes!"

The men gasped and wanted to ask, but Saori silenced them with a finger to her mouth, as she smiled.

 _Is she enjoying the attention?_ Miho thought, sweating a drop, as Saori flashed out her ears and emphasizing her body a little.

Well, Saori was right about that. **Having the best of both elves and dwarves, Senshazons looked like the best of both. Mostly, Senshazons looked like voluptuous women, but tall and graceful like elves, with a robust posture like dwarves. Hence, Senshazons easily looked like robust but tall and graceful women. In fact, some Senshazons have pointy ears, while others do not. Saori herself was flashing out her pointy ears, just to get the men's attention.**

"Yes," Saori said, successfully preventing the men from interrupting her. "It was Miho who persuaded the good orcs, and got their support. However, in the very last battle, they deliberately went on a suicidal charge, because they wanted to die in glory. They all did. That was why Miho's sister gave her the honor of slaying the lone orc, in order to prove her worth to the souls of the elves and of the dwarves."

"Sorry to interrupt," James said. "But what about Miho's sister? Who is she?"

At that, Miho lowered her gaze.

"Oops," he realized. "Sorry."

"Thank you," Miho said, nodding slowly.

"Our leader is so nice and honest," Saori continued, in order to change the topic. "She then reported to the souls, who were all amazed at the sense of honor and benevolence shown by her, which represented us. That is why we Senshazons now have the best of everything the elves and dwarves had. They gave us everything that they could, before moving on for good.

"Soon after, the spirits of the good orcs appeared, who then congratulated us for ridding the world of orcs and goblins. They then blessed us, giving us the very best of what they had, such as strength and honor. Plus, two of them were secretly goblins, who then blessed us, so that we had greatly enhanced intelligence and cunning. And that is how we end up: we are basically an overpowered species of amazons with the best of elves, dwarves, orcs, and even goblins."

"Wow!" James Polo noted, jotting down as many notes as possible. "You Senshazons are amazing!"

"Ehehe," the girls giggled.

"Hana-san," Miho said.

Hana nodded with dignity, and got up to speak.

* * *

 **Culture and New Ooarai Republic**

"We Senshazons are a civil and dignified people," Hana spoke. "With our own rich heritage. Like other cultures, it is difficult to generalize. But we all have three key attributes:

"One: we are themed after nations back in our world.

"Two: we represent some of the best of nations we represent.

"And three: we all have a prosperous economy, a genuine government, and a strong military."

Hana then sat down, then sipped her teacup calmly. The others waited...and waited...and waited.

"Hana," Saori said, finally breaking the silence. "Are you done?"

"Huh?" Hana asked. "Am I?"

The men stared at her, confounded. Miho giggled nervously, while others shook their heads in disappointment; some even slapped their faces.

"You just glossed over too many details!" Saori yelled.

"Oh," Hana said, tilting her head. "Did I? I thought I should keep it short, as Miho-san said."

"Short but sweet," Saori corrected her. "But yours was TOO short!"

"Anyway!" Miho said, breaking the commotion. "Yes, we all have cultures, just like any good nations. However, Hana-san is right: it is hard to generalize all of us, especially since the Unity Tower fell."

At that remark, all girls sighed.

"The Unity Tower?" the men asked.

"Ah!" James Polo gasped, slapping his hands in revelation. "The famous tower that unified the Senshazons together! But due to its destruction, you all got separated. And after that, it was because of that that the continent at least doubled in size!"

"That's right!" the Hippo Team declared, causing James to jump. His notebook and equipment fell down, and the girls helped him out. **Miho reached for a pencil case, and looked at it closely. She smiled.**

 **"The old days," Miho mumbled. "When we were just ordinary girls..."**

She then handed it over to James, who looked at her curiously.

"You were all just normal girls?" a Senshazon asked, stepping in. She was very tall, towering over even Miho.

"Yes," Miho replied. "Young-na, that is why we keep teaching you all about us, so that we will remember. History may be ugly and disturbing, but it teaches us to move on, and make a better world."

The crowd oohed and ahhed at that, causing her to blush.

"Anyway," Miho said. "Long story short, after the Unity Tower fell, we Ooarai girls were forced to make do with what we have. We already named our state: the **New Ooarai Republic**. Based on our former high school, the **NOR** , as it is more popularly known, is our state, and we are **Norans**. Back on Earth, it was us who helped to revitalize Senshadou among the schools in our homeland, especially the small ones. As a result, most of the girls joined our state, out of reverence and respect. Now, we are one of the most culturally diverse of all states."

"No wonder," James noted, looking around. "I can tell a variety of cultures make up your state, Miss Virago."

"Ah!" Saori gasped. "We forgot to tell you! Even though the elves, dwarves, orcs, and goblins all blessed us, we discovered that we have a key weakness, which is also the reason why we are who are: the Virago."

* * *

 **Virago and a Few Details (such as Clone-girls)**

"Shouldn't we avoid telling them?" a number of girls objected.

"Technically we can," Miho said. "Since James Polo and the men already know quite a bit about us, so we can only answer out of dignity and honesty. Yes, a few of us are **Virago** , a special title for the select few. Apparently, most of us Senshazons can utilize magic, but actually limited. Contrary to popular opinion, elves and the other races cannot freely use magic. For us, we can use it more freely, perhaps because of the fact that much of our magic lies in our tanks and military vehicles.

"Elves had to rely on shrines and temples, in order to focus their magic," Miho continued. "The dwarves had to rely on their forges, the orcs on their few leaders, and goblins on their weird contraptions. As you can tell, we inherited the orcs and the goblins' affinity for leaders and things. Like orcs, **we Virago are the only ones with a real control over magic** , which is one main reason why the elves and the dwarves fell. Their sources of magic were immobile and inflexible, while the orcs' leaders were not only mobile sources of magic, but also adapted to the situations. Unfortunately, they are not good at staying united, and soon leaders turned against each other. The goblins simply followed them to their demise. That is why we Senshazons no longer tie our magic to any place, which is actually good. Even better, we can freely enchant a place, much like elves and dwarves.

"In return, **our magic is now tied to both the Virago, the leaders of the Senshazons, and the Armored Fighting Vehicles, or AFVs for short.** They are our tanks and military vehicles. The magic between the two is tied together, so we can feel magic's presence based on AFVs alone. However, this is our key weakness: the Virago are the true reason why Senshazons are Senshazons. Without the Virago, we..."

All of the girls visibly shook, and Miho became eerily silent.

"You don't have to tell us," James said. "I think it's better not to, for your safety."

"Thank you," Miho said, brightening up. "But we have found an interesting phenomenon: our citizens are unusually religious, going to our own churches en masse, far more than the nations we represent. For example, one of the nations we represent is the Netherlands, which has up to 50.1% of people having no religion, based on the Western idea of religion. For us girls, however, we seem to love going to church."

"Why?" James asked, clearly curious.

"Going to churches seems to both magnify our magic," Miho explained. "And to help control it. Thus, the girls go them, in order to prevent further mutations or something from our magic. Even though they just need the Virago, girls are girls; they want to have some independence from the Virago, which we don't mind."

"So," James said. "You Virago do not rule as tyrants?"

"No," Miho answered, shaking her head for emphasis. "That also is another reason why: if the Virago turns to evil enough, she dies. End of story."

The bluntness at the end froze James' blood.

 _I better not push further_ , James thought. _She's nice enough already. Even I have standards about how far to ask._

"I think that's good enough for the Virago and us Senshazons," Miho said, politely restoring her original tone. "Sorry about that; we are serious about the Virago being noble. You can tell, without me telling you, that we hold the Virago in high regard, but we are difficult to talk about some things, such as how we can have children without babies. Thank you for understanding us."

She gave a cute curtsy at the men, who bowed down in respect.

"I wish that she was the leader of our Company," one of the men whispered. Having a sharp sense of hearing, from the elves, Miho and the others easily heard him. They merely grinned.

"Ah!" Miho said. "We forgot to tell you: we are capable of reproducing without men, and many of us girls are clone-girls. Clone-girls are distinct in that they are connected to the originals; hence, they technically have no souls, in a way, until a few days later. Usually, they are used to prevent unnecessary loss of lives."

"Fodder units?" James inferred.

"That's a better way to put it," Miho admitted. Then, she nodded at Yukari, who bowed.

"Attention!" Yukari said with a salute. "Let me explain to you about our AFVs!"

* * *

 **AFVs...or not**

Unfortunately, the men soon got bored. Instead of focusing on the important things, such as actually answering the questions directly, Yukari went on what Miho described to the men as "panzer high." She basically talked about all kinds of things that the men, who did not hail from a highly advanced culture, did not know of, such as a digitized battlefield system, or the armored drones. Normally, Yukari did not speak this crazy, because everybody in NOR already knew about their AFVs. However, Yukari got carried away, as she was thrilled to talk about AFVs to total strangers, who did not share with her the same level of passion and understanding.

"...and that's my conclusion!" Yukari declared, finishing her three-hour rant. While she was doing this, girls were just going about their business, while the men were yawning and sleeping.

"Eh?" James asked, waking up. He got bored an hour into the rant, and soon fell asleep at the second hour. Saori sighed, while Miho giggled nervously.

"In other words," Miho said. " **Our AFVs are based on nations they originate, with our own improvements and renovations.** "

"Thank you!" the men roared, glad to hear something easier to understand.

"Huh?" Yukari asked innocently. "Didn't I explain all that well?"

"Umm," Miho tried to speak, but decided to nod at Mako.

"Really?" Mako yawned. "Oh well, I will wrap a few things, adding some more details":

* * *

 **More on New Ooarai Republic, and other Senshazon states**

"We Norans are based on our school," Mako said. "Which has no national themes. As a result, we had the freedom to pick and choose. Now, you may all wonder about how we got the tanks and AFVs. Apparently, the portals also brought a variety of AFVs from our world and others, which is how we ended up with our tanks and all. The elves and others on Alfaria kept them as souvenirs. Even the dwarves found them difficult to comprehend, so they were left in stores. When they gave us the blessings, the spirits also led us to their vaults, and we acquired such tanks."

"Mostly, we got AFVs themed after nations not represented by our other friends and allies, such as South Africa, South Korea, and Israel. We also got some from others, but rarely, since we wanted to be fair. We ended up with more types of AFVs then everybody else, which is why we were reluctant to accept even gifts from other nations.

"Speaking of nations, yes, other Senshazon states like ours exist, but due to the fall of the Unity Tower, we lost contact with them. To make matters worse, we cannot really fly our aircraft, except for low-flying ones like the XC-17 we have, because of some strange storms that suddenly appear and strike."

At that, James Polo made a grim face. Miho noticed this.

"Hence," Mako continued. "We cannot really contact with others, and our ships also suffered some troubles. Recently, however, the waters had gotten unusually easy to navigate, so we were hoping to go out the seas."

"And is that all?" Saori asked.

"Yes," Mako replied.

Suddenly, James Polo raised his hand.

"Yes?" Miho asked.

* * *

 **The storms**

"I know why," James said, stern. "The captains who forced us worked with a shady company, who worked for another, so that it was impossible to trace who really led us. But now that you mention about the storms that prevent planes from flying, and the waters now easy to navigate? They're all the fault of one organization."

"Who?" the girls asked.

"They are the reason why you cannot freely fly your planes," he said. "Or even use the ships. Now, I see why you girls did not really set out to colonize more lands. Yes, both are connected. You see, only one type of organization does such a thing, in order to try and dominate over others. Apparently, this organization is behind so many questionable acts, so that even I don't trust it anymore. I already said the name once: the Craton."

"The Craton?" the girls asked.

"They are the source of the storms," he said. "And of the seas, but..."

He suddenly fell silent.

"You don't have to talk about it," Miho said.

"No-no," James said seriously. "I think that the Craton knows more than they want to admit. It's so secretive nowadays, and I honestly think that they will interrogate me if they suspect me telling a little too much. Basically put, all I can is..."

He spoke in a low whisper, but Miho and her teammates easily heard. Despite speaking for one whole hour, Miho easily deciphered what was important: the Craton was apparently some type of religio-political organization, with an incredible amount of power. It was the Craton that caused the seas to be rough, and the sky to be dangerous for airplanes. This was to weaken the "enemies" of the Craton. However, once a curse is reversed, it cannot be imposed again. Thus, the seas' becoming calm and the sudden invasion were apparently a part of the Craton's plans.

"At least the waters are now safe," Mako said. "That means that we can finally use our city-carriers and other ships freely."

"Exactly," he said. "But I don't know much else, because we are a part of the Free Sea Company. Anyway, I think that we need to get the ship ready. Thank you so much. Sorry to cut short, but we have to go soon."

* * *

 **Back to the docks, in the present time**

"The Craton..." Miho wondered, as the ship of men eventually disappeared in the distance, and they followed other Virago leaders to the Lotus Office.

"He admitted that he knows very little," Saori said. "But it was obvious that he knew a few things."

"I trust him," Mako said. "To be honest, I normally do not trust that easily, but he is no liar. I know a liar by his or her reactions and habits. He is no liar."

"Still," Saori objected. "I think that they were reluctant to tell everything, since we are Senshazons, and not really humans in their eyes."

"But it all makes sense now," Hana said, gazing at the sky and the sea. "In the last few months, the waters became quite easy to navigate. All that because the Craton wanted to send ships, hoping that societies like ours had stagnated, due to the lack of water or air transport."

"Well," Yukari said. "But he assured us that the Craton, once it reverses something, it cannot re-cast the spell. This means that our waters are finally safe."

"It also means," Mako said. "That we can at least find others via ships. Our aircraft are still limited. Plus, unlike our AFVs, our airplanes cannot use our magic, so that they are incredibly weak compared to the AFVs."

"Something is better than nothing!" Yukari said optimistically. "I hope that we can finally move on!"

"But now that they are finally gone," Miho said. "Girls, activate our Operation Discussion. We need to plan our next plan of attack. Number one? We better find others ASAP, so that we will be ready for this Craton, and their allies and all."

The others nodded.

"Panzer vor!" Miho cried, and the others cheered together.

As the girls went about their business, with the leaders going to the Lotus Office, Miho looked back.

"Craton," Miho said. "I don't know whoever you are. But thank you for freeing our waters. However, if you intended that for evil, we are ready. We will find you, and we will see what will happen next."

"What will you do?" Yukari asked.

"That's what I want to do," Miho said, as they neared their main base of operations. "We are going to discuss on the course of actions next."

* * *

 **Alright, I hope this chapter explains enough of the backstory of the Senshazons, and how and why they are as they are.**

 **And yes: the extinction of the elves, the dwarves, the orcs, and the goblins is a hint at the future things to come.**

 **So then, reviews, likes, follows as usual.**

 **Thank you, and see you later!**


	4. Chapter 4: Operation Discussion

**Despite the title, this is really more of a two-part thing...**

* * *

 **Girls und Krieg**

 **Chapter 4: Operation Discussion**

"Alright," Miho said. "Let us discuss."

She was standing in front of a white, dry-erase board, except that there was no eraser. Instead, Miho was wielding a single marker, which had multiple buttons on it. With it, she both wrote in different colors and erased, pushing specific buttons based on her needs. It was a futuristic version of the classic dry-erase board.

Unfortunately, not everyone could make it, or even in.

"How did they attack our Office?!" Saori yelled in dismay.

"Cheer up," Miho said with a sweat. "At least the Lotus Office is intact, except for our meeting place."

The aptly named Lotus Office was actually inspired by an actual building. Back on planet Earth, there was a religious temple known as the Lotus Temple in India, which was flowerlike in design. Impressed with it, and noting that it was designed to be open to all, Miho decided to enter it for a contest, under a pseudonym to make it fair. Her design and another one, based on a chrysanthemum, won. Thus, the architects in charge decided to fuse both together, but the result ended up looking more like the Lotus Temple. Unlike the Lotus Temple, however, the Lotus Office was about five times as tall, and was designed to be multi-purpose. Its "petals" could open up and close, based on the situation; it opened up in order to let in more sunlight, for example. It was now the main political center of the New Ooarai Republic, known as NOR.

During the invasion, a few shells apparently attempted to strike it from far away. While most struck near the coast, a few were specially designed to strike very far away, and attempted to strike the highly noticeable building. Only one shell struck, and that shell managed to hit a special energy pipe inside of the meeting room. As a result, the rupture then caused an explosion, destroying half of the meeting room.

Now, there was a lot of noise inside of the building, as numerous repair-girls and other maintenance crew members ran back and forth, trying to restore the interior. It also meant that Miho and her Virago girls had virtually no privacy.

"Guess they hit the right place," Miho noted.

Many girls mumbled and sighed. Miho then inspected the room. Although it was half of its usual size, she noticed that most of the girls could fit in. However, she realized that it was too small for the whole group, composed of Virago girls, the leaders of the entire state.

"How about this?" Miho suggested. "Let's meet up with the five teams only. Mallard Team, go and rally up the police and security forces. Anteater Team, go out and check the communications. Leopon Team, prepare the tanks and AFVs. And Shark Team, rally up your delinquents, or privateers, and get them ready."

"Roger!" each noted team responded, before running off.

"So," Hana said. "It is just the five of us teams here. This means that you seem to have something serious in mind."

"Aren't we here exactly for that?" Mako groaned. Even in Alterra, some personalities had not really changed; Hana was not exactly the most sharp of girls, so her dullness occasionally shone.

Miho giggled.

"You are the President here," Miho said, reminding her.

"But you are the Commander-in-chief," Hana said. "You are really the one in charge in warfare. Anyway, we are here to discuss on the matters of warfare, right?"

Miho grimly nodded.

"Can't we first dress appropriately?" Saori asked. "We're wearing our casual outfits, you know!"

"That will wait," Miho said. "For now, we will get through our meeting, because it is important."

The crowd mumbled in agreement, as the girls were in no mood to hurry. Since the invasion, many girls now truly decided to prepare their most prized possessions: their AFVs. Unlike the human versions, Senshazon AFVs were inherently stronger and better in almost everything. In fact, they had some type of weird magic enchanted upon them as well. Due to a long period of peace, most AFVs were stored, and only a few were used for training purposes. Now, the sudden invasion also revitalized something in the girls' hearts...

"I guess many young kids are ready for war," Saori said, checking her 3D screens. "In fact, some of them even duplicated en masse, just because they were ready for it!"

"They don't need to do that fast," Miho said, giggling nervously.

 **Indeed, Senshazons were distinct from humans in many ways. One distinct attribute was their forms of reproduction: in addition to the "normal" type (which I will not say here, in order to keep the story T-rated; if you want to know how Senshazons can even reproduce without boys, please PM me), Senshazons can also utilize binary fission, in which a girl literally splits in half, forming two identical girls. They can also utilize parthenogenesis, in which a girl can give birth to a girl without the need for anyone, except that the daughter is a clone of the mother.**

"Anyway," Saori said. "Miporin, let's start!"

Miho nodded, but noticed a girl running at her.

"Taiga-san?" Miho noted the girl, who was a member of the former Broadcasting Club, now one of the major communications organizations.

"Ni-Nishizumi-sensei!" Taiga gasped, as she huffed and puffed. "I-I have gotten your uniform!"

Ou Taiga was now one of the main leaders in charge of the communications throughout NOR. She was among the very first to activate the PA system, thus saving numerous lives. However, she was not Virago, so she was just a normal Senshazon. Taiga proceeded to take out the uniform, then hiccuped.

"Oops!" she noted. "Wrong one!"

"Don't worry," Miho said, as she took it to look.

It was technically a standard military uniform...well, to be honest, there were actually multiple. Unlike most Senshazon states, NOR was unusual in allowing for a variety of standard military uniforms, so that the military of NOR was noted for having an eclectic taste. However, one of the most common was what Taiga brought: a military uniform based on that of the Mongols. It resembled a traditional Mongolian military uniform, colored white, red, and blue and worn for ceremonies, except more futuristic (as in sleeker and more metallic) and with a more pronounced skirt and a a collar based on the Royal Dutch uniform. The gold medallion on the chest was stylized with golden wings, and the symbol of the NOR was in the middle.

"Take it to whoever needs it," Miho said, giving it back. "Tell others to dress up and get ready; we'll be there."

Taiga saluted, before running away, trying to hold both the uniform and her precious camera in her hands. Miho giggled, before turning to face her crowd.

"Alright," Miho said. "Yukari-san, please close the door. Let us commence."

* * *

 **Lotus Office, New Ooarai Republic**

 **Partially destroyed meeting room for Virago only**

"We are now at a crossroads," Miho said sternly. "For decades, we have just focused on building and expanding our state: the New Ooarai Republic. About three centuries ago, we and our friends from a number of schools somehow entered a strange portal, and we ended up on this mysterious planet called Alterra. Some of us tried to find a portal back home, while others, most of us really, found Alterra very likable and decided to stay put. Using some strange technologies, and even something called 'magic,' we built our own brand-new societies and entire states. In fact, our process of development became even better, when we discovered the mysterious Unity Tower. It was already there, but somehow it activated when we encountered it. For decades and centuries, we took it for granted, and we prospered."

"But now," Miho said, with a sigh. "Decades after losing contact, we were forced to focus on building our regime. Despite losing contact, we really prospered, and even became quite a large regime. We now number in the millions; many of our girls outside of the Senshadou club have even joined our club-turned military. Now, we are one of the most beloved of all states."

"Still even in Alterra," Momo groaned, crying a little. She was still shaken from the sudden attack.

"We understand," Miho said. "The sudden invasion is a wake-up call. Even I procrastinated, and became a little too laid-back these days. Now, since we have lost 40 lives, even though I know, and the families know, that it is not my fault, I believe that this should be a warning to me. Possibly, this is a sign from a god, if the gods even exist nowadays, to be careful. The lack of guilt on my part is a sign of this, but next time it may be truly guilt."

"Do the gods even exist?" Karina of the Rabbit Team asked. "I heard that some big bad dude built a tower that banished them."

Miho slowly but grimly nodded. She and all others only heard rumors from far away, but from what little they know, a colossal empire far away created what is now called the Banishment Tower. It was built supposedly to prevent the gods from interfering with the lives of the people on Alterra.

Now, they were no longer sure.

"It appears that the Banishment Tower," Miho said. "Whatever it is, it is not really doing a good job. First of all, we have religions here in Senshazonia, and the gods in charge are still answering prayers, such as not losing that many people. But more importantly, the Banishment Tower is supposed to make the lives on Alterra better."

"Well, as you can see," Anzu said, munching on her sweet potato chip. "It did not work out well."

The girls around mumbled and sighed.

"Did they create the Unity Tower too?" Yuuki asked.

"I dunno," Saori replied. "All we know is that it was impossible to reverse-engineer the Unity Tower. That's why we cannot regain contact with other states. The technology and magic, used to create the Unity Tower, are far beyond anything we had ever seen."

"But let's get to the point," Miho said. "We'll have to find out whether the Craton is behind the Banishment Tower or not, in addition to possibly even the Unity Tower. Whatever it is, it sure is powerful. The Craton sounds like a few of our own religions, except more volatile and less benevolent. But that is only from the opinion of the Free Sea Company, who apparently do not really like the Craton. The Banishment Tower, which we have known for a while though, is a titanic monument, whose appearance is now shrouded. Like the Area 51, however, the government in charge is not doing a good job at hiding it. Still, our job is not to find out about the Craton or the Banishment Tower or even the mystery behind the Unity Tower; our real priority is to reconnect with other Senshazons, and restore the alliance of the Senshazonia."

"Under who?" Yuuki of Rabbit Team asked.

"We'll have to figure that out later," Miho said. "For now, we will focus on our own reports. We Anglerfish will finish last, so Turtle Team, please report."

Three girls stood up. The shortest was Kadotani Anzu, the leader of the Turtle Team, and a former President of the Ooarai school. Her reddish-brown hair, tied into pigtails, was now a brighter red color, a consequence of her transformation into a Senshazon. Still retaining her relatively slim body and her own quirky sense of humor and attitude, Anzu was one of those most willing to embrace her Senshazon heritage. She was still infamous for her habit of eating sweet potato chips; entire farms of sweet potatoes existed just for her.

"Not much," she reported, stretching. "Other than the damages on buildings and the loss of lives, there is not much, thank you very much."

"Prez-I mean, Anzu-san," the next girl groaned. Koyama Yuzu was the driver of her team, and still was. A former Vice President of Ooarai, she still was diligent at heart, willing to get her hands dirty, especially since the recent attack. Her brown ponytail was now at least twice its usual length, and perhaps due to her Senshazon status, some of her hair strands naturally braided together, so that she appeared to have braids in her ponytail. Like most Senshazons, she had a more voluptuous appearance.

"Anzu-san is right," Yuzu said, checking her clipboard. "The worst was the loss of lives. Our grids and infrastructure surprisingly suffered little damage."

The last and tallest of the Turtle girls bawled slightly, still shaken. She was Kawashima Momo, a former Public Relations manager of Ooarai, and the current loader and (poor) gunner. She was famous for her loud, tough attitude, which belied her very soft side, as revealed whenever she was truly happy, or truly shaken. She was notable for wearing a monocle on her right eye. Being Senshazon, she was the least changed of her team, except that she had a single red stripe and a single blue stripe on her hair.

"Ugh," she groaned. "Uh hav nuthin to sa."

"Cheer up," Yuzu teased her. "And be more clear, Momo-chan."

"Stop that!" she roared, throwing a fit. "I am now Senshazon, and you still do that?!"

Miho giggled. Despite their transformation into Senshazons, the Turtle Team was still the usual weird trio. Before the attack, Anzu was the lazy (but effective) manager of her sweet potato chip business, while Yuzu was a grocery store owner and Momo was an assistant of the local police force. Now, they all quit their businesses, in order to focus on building up the forces of NOR. Miho secretly was glad to see them together.

"But to be honest," Anzu said, her face grim. "The attack was notably both brazen and reckless. Sure, they surprised us, but they were stupid enough to just use their medieval or WWII-era howitzers, whatever they used, against our 155-mm and 210-mm advanced guns."

The others mumbled and nodded in agreement.

"And the Duck?" Miho asked.

Four girls stood up. They were members of the defunct volleyball team. Ironically, despite being in NOR, they decided to open up an entire gym, which they called the "Guts Club" ("Not very creative," Miho noted with a giggle), which was mildly popular, especially famous among the strongest of the Senshazons. They were among the tallest of the girls in NOR, except for the leader.

"We have charged around the entire city of New Ooarai Republic!" she voiced loudly. She was Isobe Noriko, the leader of the Duck Team, and in charge of the Rapid Response regiments of the military. She was noted for her short height, only slightly taller than Anzu. However, other than her height, she looked virtually identical to her human self. Interestingly, she had a few white streaks on her hair, which appeared like miniature tiger stripes. **Most Senshazons had some odd feature to them.**

"And there is not much," she finished.

"That's it?!" Momo groaned.

"Cheer up," Yuzu said, as Momo threw a fit.

"Noriko-senpai," the next girl said, giggling a little. She was Kondou Taeko, the teammate in charge of communications in her team. Although she appeared to be the quiet type, she was the most sociable of her team. Her red bandanna, which she still wore, appeared to be at least semi-magical, because it flickered whenever she had certain emotions. Her medium-length, pinkish-brown hair had a more pronounced pink tone.

"We did manage to round up a good number of girls," she reported. "They wanted to join the war effort."

"We're not going to war," Miho said, sweating a little. "We're trying to revive our efforts to find our allies. Now that the waters are safe, we can finally venture out."

"That's what I tried to say," a very tall, slim girl voiced her opinion, sighing a little. She was Kawanishi Shinobu, one of the very tallest Senshazons. She towered over almost everyone in the team. She was noted for being the one who had the most common sense in her team, who had to put up with her teammates' unusual antics.

"We have managed to rally up at least 15,000 girls," she reported. "All of whom are willing to join our _exploration_ effort, sorry to mention that now, in order to find other allies."

"Thank you," Miho said, giggling a little. Secretly, Miho was glad to see her friends still being their usual selves, despite being Senshazons.

"We've even managed to gather up former Saunderian girls," the last of the Duck girls said. She was Sasaki Akebi, the gunner of her team. She still had her golden-blond ponytail, which was now longer and even more golden than ever. She was noted for sponsoring her own club, which taught ballet. Perhaps due to her American-ish appearance, she managed to gather up former Saunderians to her cause.

"My entire class," she said. "And at least 5,000 Saunderian refugees are willing to join us."

Miho nodded. Due to the loss of the Unity Tower, the many girls from other states were stuck in NOR. While some chose to venture out in order to try and find their way back home, most stayed put, for a good reason. **After the Unity Tower fell, the entire landscapes suddenly changed, forcing the girls to rebuild their entire infrastructure from scratch. Hence, the older maps were now void, so that the Norans only knew of their current territory.**

"In other words," Shinobu said. "We had good success with gathering up girls for our journey, which was not what we intended, but which was technically integral."

"Which was what we wanted in the first place," Miho said, sweating. Even in NOR, she and others were still the same old selves, with their own quirks.

"I came, I saw, I conquered," the next four girls declared, standing up.

"Wait your turn!" Momo groaned. "Wait until Nishizumi-sensei tells you!"

"Momo-chan~" Yuzu deliberately teased her, causing her to throw a fit.

"Anyway," Miho said, giggling. "Hippo Team, anything from our archives, especially concerning history?"

The same four girls saluted. They were history buffs, and still were into their own types of interests. However, they soon expanded to include more subjects, and spent a large part of their time reading in the archives. Hence, after the invasion, they explored the library even more closely, in order to find anything useful.

"One at a time," Miho said. Three of them sat down.

"Veni, vidi, vici," a tall girl spoke. She was Caesar, whose real name was Suzuki Takako; she named herself after Julius Caesar, since she loved Roman history. She donned a military outfit based on that of a Roman centurion, except without a helmet. She still retained her original appearance and personality, but her confident personality had a slight tone of sadness, which Miho noted. She knew why: Caesar missed Carpaccio, her long-time friend, especially since they were in the middle of a conversation when the Unity Tower fell, thus cutting off their important talk. She had refused to talk about it, but Miho managed to glean from the conversation, and it sounded serious.

 _Whatever it was,_ Miho thought _. I recall that something happened to Anzio, but Caesar-san refused to say even a little. We better find them fast._

"It appears," Caesar said calmly (with a little effort). "That the small fleet attempted to frighten us. I cannot really find anything of this kind of stupid strategy. In most successful campaigns, people first scout and understand the enemies that they face. These men...they simply attacked without a backup. It's worse than the Battle of Cannae."

"That's right!" the others in her team replied.

"But courage which goes against military expediency is stupidity, or, if it is insisted upon by a commander, irresponsibility," said the next person, as Caesar sat down.

She was Matsumoto Riko, mostly known as Erwin. Like Caesar, she was named after a famous person, in this case Erwin Rommel. Like Caesar, she retained much of her original appearance and personality, just taller and more robust. She was distinct for her short, blond hair stylized to look almost like ears of a Fennec fox. However, her brown eyes had a bluish streak to them. Miho recalled that whenever Erwin was either stressed or focused, her eyes glowed a bright blue color, instead of brown. She no longer wore her original Rommel-based attire; instead, she donned a rather fancy, German military outfit worn by modern-day German forces.

"That's said by Erwin Rommel," Miho said. "And that applies well to the invaders."

"That's right!" the Hippo Team declared. Miho said it, really to help Caesar, in order to help her smile, which she did. Miho wanted Caesar to cope with whatever she was going through.

"Just move on already!" Momo groaned.

"Next two?" Miho giggled.

The last two girls of the Hippo Team stood up. Both were Saemonza and Oryou respectively, the only girls in their team who focused on a specific history of Japan. Hence, they were among the few Norans who maintained their original Japanese roots, down to hosting their own Japanese-themed clubs, such as tea ceremony clubs and Japanese archery clubs.

Saemonza, whose real name was Sugiyama Kiyomi, retained her red-brown hair (except redder) and her headband. However, her bow, which she carried around a lot, was now a heavily enlarged, very ornate yumi bow, colored various stripes of red and black. She also wore a samurai-like armor suit, with a red-and-black theme, courtesy of her obsession with the Sengoku period of Japan.

Oryou, known as Nogami Takeko, was notable for her unruly black hair (which appeared a little spikier now), with her red eyeglasses. She was notable for wearing an early Japanese military uniform, courtesy of her Bakumatsu period knowledge. However, just like her human self, she seemed to deliberately lean forward, as if she had a back problem (which she did not).

"I will report what Erwin and I found," Saemonza said. "An interesting section of the archives had some books about the world of Alterra. Unfortunately, somebody apparently raided and destroyed most of the books."

The others looked at them, alarmed. Some of them stood up.

"What?!" they gasped.

"He's dead," Oryou chimed in. "He was Daniel Landa, a man who was a fanatical worshiper of this mysterious Craton religion. That's all we know, because he cried out 'For the Craton!' before falling down into a deep pit, which led down to a dangerous tunnel full of toxic acids."

"You girls chased him?" the others gasped.

"He was rather clever," Oryou admitted. "To infiltrate our base like that; how was he able to enter such a valuable place or easily?"

"Beats me," Saemonza said with a shrug. "It's as if he knew where to go."

Miho thought, then gasped.

"Hippo Team!" Miho shouted out. "Do you have reinforcements?"

"They're at the archives," Oryou answered. "We have soldiers to guard our secrets, while they are rebuilding them and the books."

"Go there ASAP!" Miho commanded. "And check every nook and cranny, just in case! Find his body if you can!"

The Hippo girls blinked, then saluted.

"Roger that," the Hippo Team answered. "Anything else?"

"Rally up any girl you can afterwards," Miho commanded, her tone serious. "But put the archives at maximum security. And do NOT come back until the archives are truly safe!"

The last sentence surprised everyone. The Hippo Team, however, soon understood the gravity of the situation. Silently nodding, they bolted out.

"I am sorry about that," Miho said. "And Duck Team, please go and scout the regime. I know that you are among the fastest. Help out any security and police you can. Then, once you think that it's safe, please come to the port. You know what to do."

Knowing that Miho was serious, the Duck Team saluted and bolted out. Miho sighed, breathing deeply to calm down.

"You alright?" Saori asked, clearly worried.

Miho made a series of deep breaths, before smiling.

"Sorry," Miho said. "To be honest, if this man named Daniel Landa was able to enter our archives that easily, I don't think he'll die that easily."

Murmurs rippled throughout the meeting.

"She's actually right there," Momo mumbled, clearly troubled.

"Didn't the crew warn us?" Anzu asked.

"Nope," Miho said. "Now that we think about it, a few admitted that they did not know how many were there. In fact, we did not really count how many were onboard either."

"Ah," Anzu said. "That's what we forgot. I was wondering what we were missing, and taking records of how many were there was what we forgot."

"We learn from our mistakes," Miho said grimly. "We'll be more vigilant next time. It was also my fault, as I went with the crowd, who got excited about seeing men. Now that we have a clearer mind, we better be more careful."

"On a positive note," she said. "Rabbit Team."

As the rest sat down, six girls stood up. The Rabbit Team had the most members, and they were composed of former first-year girls. Hence, they were considered to be the "cuties," and even when they were as old as most other Virago girls, they retained their cheerful, youthful demeanor. Like other teams, they went around, ate, and even slept together like family. All of them retained their original appearance, except with the usual Senshazon traits, such as having a more robust, voluptuous appearance.

"Our young people are doing well," the leader of them spoke. She was Sawa Azusa, notable for somewhat resembling Miho, which others even pointed out. In battles in the past, she took this to advantage, decoying as Miho a few times, which worked out well. However, due to nearly losing her life a few too many times, Azusa decided to be more cautious. Still, she was admired for her level-headedness and the ability to help keep her team under control. She had significantly elongated ears.

"And they miss the men," a taller girl noted. Yamagou Ayumi was the tallest of her group, with a few freckles. Despite having the most voluptuous body of her group, she was as youthful and carefree as the rest of her team. She was one of two gunners of her group, and she had slightly pointy ears. In fact, all of the Rabbit girls had pointy ears, with some longer than others.

Next to her was a girl who seemed to stare into space: Maruyama Saki. She was the silent type, who was surprisingly smart and remarkable, despite being a loader. She also had quite a pair of elongated ears; only Azusa had longer ears.

"Saki's saying that we all helped to comfort the little kids," another girl said. She was Sakaguchi Karina, the driver of her team. She was very excitable and lively, even in Alterra. Apparently, the transformation to Senshazon did not really alter personalities drastically, down to her ears, which were pointy but not very visible.

"And we're all safe and sound," said a black-haired girl; each girl stood and sat down, based on who was talking. She was Utsugi Yuuki, the radio operator of her tank. She was quite patient but had an occasional dull moment. She was distinct in having pointy ears with pointy earlobes.

"And the boys were awesome!" said a girl with twin ponytails. She was Oono Aya, notable for her now-golden hair, which were now at least double the length. She still wore her wide eyeglasses, and was quite the favorite among the men. Indeed, she was known as a bright mood setter of not only her team, but also the regiments under their control. She had a pair of elongated ears; only Azusa and Saki had longer ones.

"I remember that the men particularly liked you," Miho said. "Have you gleaned anything odd from them?"

She thought for a while, then made an "aha" gesture.

"I recall one of them," she said. "Someone who was great at sneaking in the shadows or something. And speaking of that, I remembered seeing that James Polo was searching something in the ship."

"What was he searching?" Miho asked.

"To make sure that everybody was there," she replied. "Including some fanatic guy who was obsessed with the Craton."

The others stared at her, gawking.

"What?" she asked, apparently unaware of the situation.

"How did you know this much?" they asked her.

"He texted me," she said, lifting up her cell phone. "I gave him a cell phone that connected to mine. He texted me a lot, saying that his men managed to subdue some fanatic onboard. He apparently rambled about 'destroying their books' and something."

The others sighed in relief.

"He's onboard the ship," Yuzu gasped in relief.

"A-wa-sa-glod!" Momo groaned, slightly inaudible. Miho could tell that she was saying: "Aw, I am so glad!"

"Wait a minute," Aya said, blinking. "Oh! That was the-why was I stupid?!"

She groaned, realizing that she forgot to mention such an important detail.

"Good thing he's on the ship," Miho said. "If not, then we would be in trouble."

"Anything else from the texts?" Momo asked, now a little more stable.

"He said that the dude was some Cratonic freak," Aya answered. "They had to chain him and throw him in their own jail cell, just to keep him from messing with the ship. Apparently, he guessed that the man did something to our archives or something, so he apologized."

"Apology accepted," Miho said. "Alright, Rabbit Team. You are dismissed; go and help the city while Turtle and we Anglerfish will discuss further."

The six girls nodded, before (somewhat) hopping out.

"What's more?" Anzu asked, still eating.

"The funerals and the processions are going well," Hana said, checking her interface. "We sent them their condolences."

"And we are now renewing our census reports," Saori said, checking her own screens.

"And the factories are up and running!" Yukari squealed. "Oh boy, I cannot wait to see more tanks!"

"And the men had really poor weapons," Mako said. "Based on my calculations of the shells, the worst ones were medieval, while the best ones were barely on par with our 155-mm guns. Even their 300-mm cannons were faulty. The only good thing was their long range."

"In other words," Miho said. "The men relied on the element of surprise, but they did not hit very well, thus allowing us avoid a heavy level of casualty. However, the invasion revitalized our desire to find other states. Even better, the men spilled the beans about the waters now being safe, and they are right. This leads to my three main points:

"One: since we have a large pool of both girls and resources, we will dramatically increase our military."

The others agreed.

"Two: we will ensure that we will have scouts, sending them ahead."

The others nodded.

"And three: we will focus on finding the other states, and learning about what happened to them. Then, once we think that we have enough, we will send a fleet in the direction of the Free Sea Company. We'll find out this Craton, and the Banishment Tower and other mysterious things of this world."

"What will we do with the Craton and the Tower?" Yuzu asked.

"We'll have to see," Miho said grimly. "To be honest, I wish that everything can be treated with peaceful resolution, but I know that things are not that bright. In fact, we'll also gather up potential allies as well. Anyone, both Senshazon and non-Senshazon, is now more important than ever."

All of the girls present nodded.

"Nishizumi-sensei," a serious voice echoed outside of the door, as it slid open.

"Sodoko-san," Miho said.

The short, black-haired girl made a face, trying to restrain herself. Sono Midoriko hated being called "Sodoko" outside of her own group, but she did a poor job at keeping it in check. Although famous for her strict personality, she had her soft moments, which Mako loved to point out, to her annoyance.

"What's up?" Mako asked casually.

"This is a serious business," Sodoko groaned, as she came in with her closest associates: Gotou Moyoko and Konparu Nozomi. The trio were noted for being incredibly similar to each other. Even in Alterra, Sodoko enforced a strict policy for her own group, which was one of the main security and police forces in NOR, which explained for the group's similar appearance. However, although the two looked like Sodoko, Moyoko had longer hair than Sodoko, while Nozomi had a shorter one. Like Sodoko, they had nicknames: Moyoko was "Gomoyo," while Nozomi was "Pazomi."

"Nishizumi-sensei," Sodoko said, showing them her clipboard. "We have finalized the first fleet. I believe that you all will need to come. Almost everybody else is down there."

"Already?" Miho asked with surprise.

"I guess the invasion woke something inside of us," Gomoyo said. "Even we were amazed; some delinquents even listened to Sodoko, whenever she talked about the exploration mission."

Miho smiled. It appeared that the invasion was a blessing in disguise.

"Alright," Miho said. "Let us go there, then."

* * *

The girls took a special train, which connected the Lotus Office to the port. As the girls waited in their seats, Miho soon noticed that her phone was activating. She turned it on. Holograph-like images of three girls appeared.

"Anteater Team," Miho said. "Report."

"We have managed to intercept a strange signal nyaa," a tall girl with very long, blond hair spoke. She wore a pair of swirly glasses and a set of cat-ear headband. She was Nekota, the leader of the Anteater Team. Formerly a trio of gamers, they used their knowledge to an unexpected effect, adept at dealing with some strange mechanisms of their communications devices. Now, they were trying to find any messages from neighboring states.

"And it appears to be a distress signal momo!" the next girl, much shorter than her teammates, spoke. She was Momoga, with pinkish-brown hair (more pink now as Senshazon) and wearing a peach-shaped eyepatch on her right eye (she was not blind, just a habit).

"A distress signal?" Miho asked with concern.

"It appears to say something about 'please help' or something piyo," the last girl answered. She was Piyotan, with gray hair tied into a very thick ponytail. Interestingly, she now had fewer freckles on her as Senshazon.

"All the good reason to set sail," Miho said. "Thank you, Anteater Team. Keep up the good work, and when you're done, please get ready to enter the ships."

"Roger that!" the girls nodded, before turning off. Miho smiled. Each Anteater girl added a verbal tic whenever they spoke, which was why each ended with an unusual word.

Then, four more figures appeared from her interface.

"Leopon Team," Miho said. "Report."

All of them appeared like their usual selves, with overall dark, short hair. Unlike most other Virago girls, they wore their automobile repair suits, which were orangish and had some electronic equipment embedded in. The Leopon Team stood out in having two clearly dark-skinned girls. Dark skin was rather rare among the Senshazons, possibly due to their immunity to the sun's rays.

"Nakajim Satoko is here," the leader spoke. "Manufacture of our AFVs is in full effect."

"And it took a while," the next admitted. She was Hoshino, one of two with dark skin in the team; she also stood out in taking off her jacket a lot, exposing her undershirt.

"But at least the factories have been maintained well," the next girl said. She was Suzuki, the tallest in her group, and with the darkest skin.

"How fast can they get?" the last spoke. She was Tsuchiya, the happiest-looking of the team, and the one with the most freckles on her.

"Factories are going well?" Miho asked.

All four nodded.

"You know what to do," Miho said.

 _Click._

"Everything is going smoothly," Hana noted.

"Of course!" Saori shouted with delight. "Finally, we're doing something revolutionary! It's been decades!"

"Decades of training and preparing," Yukari added. "Except with our friendly matches. Now, we're ready for possible war."

Miho nodded. Although she was not against it, war was a double-edged sword.

"You know," Mako admitted, raising her head from her pillow, which she brought into the train. "I have to admit: the invasion was a good alarm clock. It gave us something to do, plus the waters being safe? Even better."

Miho smiled, then looked out the windows. The train soon zoomed towards the port. Formerly just peaceful, now it was bustling with much activity. She saw numerous people, some spectating, while others packing up to board the ships. She also saw lines after lines of AFVs, rumbling through, as they all climbed the ramps. The train was now only miles away from the station.

"I have to admit," Miho said, with a smile. "It's good to have a reason to leave the comforts of our home. I wonder what will happen..."

"We'll have to find out!" Yukari said, raising her hand. "It's time to go!"

"Hoi!" everybody around them shouted in unison.

Miho giggled, then reached out her hand. Knowing the signal, the others put their hands together into a rare team hand-stack.

"You know," Miho said. "Let's get this party started. Panzer vor!"

"HOI!"

* * *

 **I decided to stop here, in order to make the chapter reasonable.**

 **Next chapter will hopefully finish up the "main exposition." The first few chapters are intended to introduce the setting and the world of our characters, so I hope that I am doing it well.**

 **Daniel Landa is inspired by Diego de Landa, a bishop very infamous for burning the Mayan books. Hint: he will appear again.**

 **Reviews, likes, follows etc. are appreciated.**

 **Peace, and have a patient day.**

 **P.S. I am wondering whether to do a Christmas special...**


	5. Chapter 5: Of Culture and Waters

**Greetings from me again.**

 **;)**

 **Shall we start?**

* * *

 **Girls und Krieg**

 **Chapter 5: Of Culture and Waters**

"We are now over 300 years old!" Saori suddenly screamed. "And I forgot to have babies with the men!"

"Don't our Senshazons already have babies?" Mako asked rhetorically.

"Shut up!" she groaned.

Miho giggled nervously, as they left the train. The girls reached their destination, and it was the usual bustle and hustle. Even before the invasion, Norans went about their business, performing a variety of tasks and roles to help maintain the society of NOR, or the New Ooarai Republic (Norans were the people of NOR). However, this time, there was a lot more chatting, as many Norans were now enthusiastic about the exploration missions. Since the reports of the incident, many Norans now were talking about how the waters were now safe. Indeed, Norans were now starting to prepare en masse, getting ready for not only exploration, but even colonization efforts. Hundreds and thousands of cargo containers now flooded the ports, with cranes and staff working hard to load them unto ships. Fishing ships also flooded the waters, now that it was even safer to harvest.

"Cheer up," Hana said. "You can wait for at least 700 more years, as the elves said. Anyway, the men were already married."

"But I wanted to experience it!" Saori groaned. "Plus, even though we all have not changed that much, like aging...ugh! But at least we're as healthy as ever!"

"You mean healthier," Anzu said, and many girls laughed.

"Wait," Miho said with a nervous smile. "We're not here to talk about men; we're here to discuss our journey."

"I know," Saori admitted with sigh. "But zon, we have changed so much..."

She was right. Becoming Senshazons, they developed a few distinct words, such as using "zon" much as Humans use the words "oh boy" to express something surprising. Plus, Senshazons speak eloquently like elves, but know when to speak bluntly like dwarves.

"Now that I think about it," Miho said. "We forgot to tell them everything about us."

"Like?" Hana asked.

"Like how we appeased not only the spirits of the elves and the dwarves," Miho said. "But also appeased the spirits of the orcs and the goblins."

"Oh!" Miho's team gasped. Others, however, had a more mixed reaction: some blinked in surprise, while others were gawking.

"Zon," Yukari said, scratching her head. "Why did we forget something that important?"

"Well," Miho said. "To be honest, I think the Humans won't really believe us."

"Why?" Hana asked.

"Because they assume that all orcs are bad," Miho answered. "Remember the spirits of the good orcs? They admitted that the orcs were not what they appear to be, now and in the past."

"What exactly happened?" Karina asked. "Good orcs? How is that possible?"

"We have never heard of this," Caesar said, keenly interested.

"Ah," Miho said, nodding grimly. "Karina-san, Caesar-san, and all of you, let me explain..."

* * *

Long story short, Miho explained for ten minutes about what happened, but only in the privacy of a special meeting room, while waiting for the loading process to finish. Not all Senshazons knew this, but Miho and the commanders of other schools encountered a strange shrine, and encountered the spirits of orcs and goblins. However, unlike the hostile living ones, these were actually benevolent and even sympathetic, as they admitted that their own kind somehow got "infected" by some strange malady. Fortunately, this only afflicted the orcs and the goblins, but this also tarnished the reputation of both species.

"So that's why..." Yuuki said.

"Oh," Noriko said. "Zon, I should have known..."

"It's not our fault," Azusa said. "But I can relate. Don't we do the exact same thing? If our kind was infected, then we will do what we can to eliminate them off, in order to save others."

"Hopefully not," Sodoko said, shivering. "But that reminds me: why the malady? What was it really, and where did it come from?"

"The spirits were unsure," Miho said. "They told us only a few things:

"One: that the orcs and goblins were originally a noble and honorable people, much like elves and dwarves. However, they already had bad relations with them, and stayed away from both elves and dwarves. However, all this changed with the malady, which afflicted them and caused them to go berserk, driving the elves and dwarves into extinction."

"And how?" Karina asked.

"It's hard to tell," Miho said. "The spirits gleaned only a few facts from their own searching; most were useless, except for two details: it all started when a group of orcs and goblins came from a hunting trip, after admitting to visiting a strange cave. After that, everything went bad. And two, another expedition of orcs and goblins found the cave, and destroyed it. Thus, elves were dwarves were spared, because the malady apparently only affects any member of a race who visits the cave."

"What was that cave?" Azusa asked.

"I don't know," Miho admitted. "But one thing is for sure: they're glad that it's gone, and that nobody else, not even the elves or dwarves, visited it."

"It sounds like a zombie virus," Hana interjected.

Everybody blinked, looking at her, then gasped.

"Ugh," Saori said, shivering. "Fortunately, we did NOT visit that cave!"

"True that," Yukari admitted in a low voice.

"That makes sense," Miho said. "The way they describe the malady, it really sounds like a zombie virus. That also explains for the orcs and goblins' unusually high vitality; although they did not bite us, they were hard to kill, and after months of hunting, we have finally brought them all down. But not all of them."

"Eh?!" the others gasped.

"I will explain," Miho said. "But two: the spirits told me and the other commanders of schools, such as Darjeeling and Kay, that they wanted us to spare a single orc and a single goblin, in return for giving us the ability to detect any orc and goblin in hiding. After fighting long and hard, we finally captured the last orc and goblin. After some struggling, we managed to bring them to the shrine of the spirits, where the good orcs and goblins brought the final blows. Because of this, the spirits of the orcs and goblins granted us blessings."

"And that is how," Saori chimed in. "We Senshazons came about: we have the best of not only elves and dwarves, but also orcs and goblins."

"And that leads to the last point," Miho said. "Three: we have attributes from all four races:

"From elves, we have their grace, agility, long lifespans, high magical affinity, and clean skin. Some of us even have pointy ears like the original elves.

"From dwarves, we have their diligence, resilience, and great craftsmanship. We also have some of their quirks, such as a high resistance to alcohol.

"From orcs, we have their sense of honor, size, and strength. That's why we are so big and robust.

"And from goblins, we have their sense of craziness, economic expertise, and an ability to reproduce a lot."

"That makes so much sense!" Azusa said. "I've been wondering how and why the new generations grow so big and so fast..."

"That's actually a great thing," Anzu said. "With our fast rate of reproduction and growth, we were able to easily settle down, create entire societies very fast, and eventually become prosperous."

"And that includes our cultural heritage," Saori said. "Such as clothing."

"Ah!" Miho gasped.

"What?" the others asked.

"Our uniforms!" Miho replied.

"Oops!"

"Girls!" Miho said. "Let us go and dress up!"

* * *

"That was close," Saori gasped.

"But we managed just in time," Hana said.

"But," Mako said, panting heavily. "That was...too fast!"

Miho giggled. All of the teams managed to dress up, and went down to meet up with the rest of their forces. Right now, the girls were in their military uniforms...well, to be honest, what would be considered military uniforms.

"Don't we even have a STANDARD set?!" Sodoko groaned.

Mako rolled her eyes.

"We don't," she said the obvious.

She was right. Unlike other Senshazon states, the New Ooarai Republic's armed forced lacked an actual dress code. In fact, the first and second-generation Norans were the only ones who actually tried to wear something standardized. The first-generation girls included all of the Virago girls, which were the original members of the old Ooarai Senshadou club; this generation also includes everyone who ended up in Alterra, as Human girls before they became Senshazons. The second generation was the first generation of Senshazons, who were born directly from the first generation. These girls still clung to their old Japanese roots to some degree.

Only they tried to wear standard uniforms en masse, which were of four types:

One was based on the US Marine Corps blue dress uniform. It looked virtually like it, except a brighter cobalt-blue, with white stripes woven with red stripes. The Noran emblem (the old Ooarai symbol, but surrounded by a stylized lotus flower symbol) replaced the left side emblems on the left breast. The cap looked virtually like the original, but with wings on it (they were based off of the US Air Force's sigil/symbol). **This was officially known as the Cobalt Blue Uniform.**

The second was the original Senshadou club uniform, but more stylized and armored. It resembled the above uniform, but with no red color. Instead, it was a darker blue color, with many white stripes and patches. A simple but platinum-and-blue tiara was the headwear. **This was officially known as the Blue-and-White or BW Uniform.**

The third was based on the traditional Mongolian dress uniform. Famous for its bright blue, red, and golden colors, this dress was unmistakable. The Noran version, however, was stylized with tight skirts, thigh-high socks, and an overall more ornate appearance. The helmet had no black part, so that it resembled an open crown, with wing-like projections on the helmet's sides. The gold medallion in the chest area had golden wings. **This was the Armadeel Uniform.**

The fourth and last one was perhaps the most distinct. It looked like a hybrid of both the futuristic "Iron Man" suits and the Polish and French hussar uniforms. It looked the most "fantasy-esque" of the four, looking more like something from a fantasy world. The most distinct part of the uniform, however, was not the uniform or the crown-like tiara, but the wings on the backs! The wings were originally designed to look intimidating (in the hussar attire), and hence were not initially capable of flight. In recent decades, however, the uniform had been redesigned and revamped, so that the wings were capable of gliding from various distances; they also helped to prevent damages from falling from tall places! **This was the Huazar Uniform**. Miho wore this one, because a Noran referendum voted for this by a surprisingly overwhelming margin. It also had the greatest variation of the four, due to an allowance for customization; different colors symbolized different regiments, battalions, and other battle formations.

Miho and the Anglerfish Team all stood on top of a stage, overlooking entire groups of a variety of girls. Miho herself wore the Huazar Uniform, resembling a female knight in simple but shiny armor, in colors of pink, white, and light blue. Her Huazar wings were pure white with a light blue, a light green, and a pink stripe on each wing's marginal coverts. Saori wore the Armadeel Uniform, with had a longer, more frilly skirt (at her rather intense request). Hana wore the Huazar Uniform; hers was more like a hybrid between a kimono and a samurai armor suit, with a theme of a variety of flowers (hard to tell a specific color theme), with wings that are really more like petals from the cherry blossom tree. Yukari wore Cobalt Blue Uniform, stating that it looked the most "military-ish" of the four. Mako (not too surprisingly) wore the BW Uniform, because she just wanted a plain one.

"A-attention!" Miho spoke. Despite the initial stutter, the whole crowd quieted down. Nobody dared to question the Commander-in-chief of the Noran forces. Behind them, the tanks shut down their noises, as if listening too.

"Thank you for coming to the dock," Miho began her speech. "I apologize for the rush and everything that happened. However, thank you for preparing well ahead of even my own expectations. Ladies, girls, and friends, we now officially confirm, although it is already known, that the waters are now safe, according to the first men that we have seen in decades. Now, we are ready to set sail. But first, we must consider our dresses, since we have not enforced it in a while..."

At this, she giggled nervously.

"Nishizumi-sensei!" Sodoko groaned, coming unto the stage with the rest of her Mallard Team. They all wore the Cobalt Blue Uniform, stating that it looked the most "professional" of the four standard uniforms.

"That's an issue of utmost concern!" Sodoko spoke, clearly annoyed. "For decades, we've been trying to enforce a standard dress code, but the girls have never listened!"

"It's because we have so much variety," Mako retorted. "And it's not because they refused to listen. Rather, Miho allowed it, since we are culturally diverse."

"But we should have enforced it earlier in the first place!" Sodoko groaned.

"It's because you all," Mako said. "Were upset at 'losing' the school ship, after ending up in Alterra. By the time you all recovered, it was too late."

"It's never too late!" Sodoko roared.

"Then why are you so lazy?" Mako remarked sarcastically, causing the crowd to laugh and giggle. Sodoko turned red.

"You're the lazy one!' Sodoko retorted, with the crowd laughing.

"G-girls!" Miho said. "Please, calm down. Yes, it was my fault, but only because our group is now so diverse. I decided to provide a variety of choices, because we are so diverse in the first place. After the Unity Tower fell, most of the visitors became refugees, who then eventually became officially Norans. Now, we are so diverse, that I feel that it is a good sense of honor to respect that, by having a variety of uniforms."

The crowd mumbled in agreement, and a good number even clapped.

"But Nishizumi-sensei!" Sodoko spoke, this time sounding more like an annoyed kid. "Now, you tolerated the girls too much. Look at the third generation and beyond!"

Miho giggled, but she was right. Miho looked at the crowd. She could tell who was first and second-generation, and who was third-generation and beyond (except for some in the crowds, who wore them because they looked "cool"). In the massive crowd, lined in rectangular formations like in military parades, about a third of the people were dressed in one of four standard uniforms. Of the four, the most common was the Armadeel Uniform, because many Norans believed that it represented the diversity of Norans; unlike the others, the original Mongolian uniform had both western and eastern influences. The rarest was the Huazar Uniform, because many Norans believed that it was too "good" for most of them; instead, they only allowed the very best to wear them (even though there was no rule against it).

The rest...wore all kinds of unusual outfits.

"They're wearing dresses fit for parties!" Sodoko roared. "This is military, not party!"

Groans and boos echoed from the crowd.

"It's not a dress!" one of the girls yelled from the crowd. "We're wearing BATTLE dresses!"

The others mumbled and spoke loudly in agreement.

Miho giggled, as she saw why Sodoko was frustrated:

Most Norans did not wear the standard military uniforms. Instead, they wore a wide variety of what they called "battle dresses," which varied in appearance and even function. Some were clearly designed with great armor, such as some of the heavy infantry units. Others, however, were designed more for fashion, rather than actual military combat.

Indeed, Miho could not help but notice the bewildering diversity of even the recruits, who just joined the military. They had it even worse.

"Look at you!" Sodoko roared, as many girls laughed. "You're not wearing a uniform; you're wearing a literal bikini!"

She was actually right; partially due to the warm weather, a good number of girls wore "battle bikinis." Miho only giggled, as she was now used to seeing such crazy antics now, a little.

"And you!" Sodoko screamed, pulling her hair now as she pointed at another girl. "You call that uniform?! That's too casual and too colorful!"

She pointed at not one, but a group of girls. Five of them were wearing something that came straight out of a Magical Girl TV show, except with way too many ornaments for a single dress. They and the rest of the crowd, however, laughed. Many girls were used to Sodoko's antics now.

"I think you girls are a little too over your head," Miho admitted to the crowd, who suddenly became quiet. "How about this: I suggest that you all bring additional materials to help make clothing, just in case if you want new uniforms. You all got used to wearing uniforms of your choice, strictly because they were comfortable and fashionable. However, training here is nothing like real-life combat. **Real war does not care about what you wear; it only cares whether you can survive.** So please, have fun, but also be considerate."

The crowd mumbled, and then it roared in agreement.

"They sure listen to you!" Sodoko spoke, sounding a little jealous. "I cannot believe that they are willing to listen to you, even though I am also Virago like you!"

"It's because she listens to the crowd," Mako retorted. "While you try and do things your way."

Miho giggled, as Sodoko wrestled against Mako in the background.

"Alright," Miho said. "First, let us pack up and ensure that we have the personal stuff we need, and more. It's better to be a little too prepared, than never. I will let you all have an hour. After that, let us begin the Sensharade."

The crowd roared, then dispersed.

* * *

 **An hour later...**

"Let the Sensharade begin!" Taiga's voice erupted from the PA system, as the crowd cheered.

Miho and the entire Virago cast, 37 in all, watched from a golden balcony, surveying the special parade. After they loaded everything that they could (or more like, wanted), the girls then went to their places. The Virago were entitled to their own balcony, designed specifically to house all of the Virago in NOR. Other Norans watched from various places. Some watched from their own balconies, while others stood on the streets. Some even rode on top of their own vehicles, ranging from giant tanks to Humvee-like cars.

"What's a Sensharade again?" Aya asked innocently.

"We've been doing this for centuries!" Momo roared. "And you don't know what it is!?"

"We really haven't done this in months," Yuzu corrected her. "Momo-whoops!"

Momo threw a fit, but had a hard time doing so, as the Virago girls were almost crowded into the rather small balcony. It did not help that the Virago girls were distinctly taller than the average Senshazon. Specifically, while an average Senshazon was about 60 cm taller than an average Human, an average Virago was about 70 cm taller than an average Human. Hence, they were distinctly taller, and hence a little larger and more robust and voluptuous than most Senshazons.

"Hey!" Murakami groaned, as Momo tried to attack Yuzu, but her arms got into Murakami's face. "Back off!"

"Careful!" Azusa yelled, as she ducked down to avoid a blow.

Miho giggled nervously.

"Zon," she admitted. "We are still Humans at heart, aren't we?"

"Not exactly," Anzu said.

Miho nodded.

"Nishizumi-sensei!" Taiga's voice spoke from the PA.

"Huh?" Miho asked. The others pricked up their ears; it was rare for the PA to directly address an individual by name.

"Did you...forget?" her voice echoed.

"Huh?" Miho and the Virago group asked.

"Oops," Taiga's voice echoed again. "We forgot too...the Virago tanks."

"OOPS!" the entire cast gasped.

"Girls!" Miho yelled. "Get our tanks ASAP!"

"Run-run-run!" various girls screamed, as they thundered down the stairs. The normal Senshazons shrieked and ran out of the way, as a group of 37 very strong girls stampeded down.

"Sorry!" Miho called out quickly. "We're busy!"

"We understand!" the other girls, including the maids, answered. After they ran out, the girls giggled.

"I am glad that Miho-senpai is one of us," one of the maids whispered.

"What can we do?" another asked. "Do something even bigger?"

* * *

 **Five minutes later...**

"Ugh," Mako groaned. "How could we forget this?!"

Miho gasped for breath, as she and other Virago girls managed to get into their tanks, and started to roll out. Unlike most Senshazon factions, the New Ooarai Republic had a distinct class of tanks known as the Virago tanks. Virago tanks resembled highly modified main battle tanks, except much bigger and more advanced, with unique perks. They also varied in size, specifications, and even weapons. There were nine of them, all of them manned by the nine original teams of the Ooarai Senshadou club.

"Well," Miho said. "It was my fault for forgetting this. It's been months, perhaps even years, since we even did the parade."

"The Sensharade is a parade to celebrate the military might and cultural heritage!" Saori groaned. "How did I forget too?!"

"I am the President," Hana said. "And I forgot."

"Me too!" numerous voices from other teams through the radio groaned.

"It does not matter why," Miho said. "I guess we forgot, because of so many things that happened, but at least Taiga remembered. Let's go."

Miho's team tank, the Crucigon, roared, and went out of the underground warehouse, specifically designed to hold such monstrous weapons. The Crucigon rumbled upwards, and the crowd cheered, as it rolled over a giant red carpet. The shiny plates flashed brightly in the sunlight above. Unlike other tanks, however, it had large, distinct armored skirts, which were based on that of their old Panzer IV Ausf. H; they even had the Anglerfish Team's logo, which was technically the same, except stylized to look cooler, with black glasses and a cross-and-star hybrid symbol on the fish's "fishing rod" organ. It was stylized to have a pink, blue, and white theme.

"Crucigon!" the crowd cheered, as Miho and her friends peeked out. Miho stood up, standing on top of the turret, waving a little timidly at the crowd.

"Zon," she admitted. "I am still not used to the crowd cheering."

"You haven't gotten used to it?" Saori asked with a little concern. "We've done this numerous times."

"But it's been a while in a way," Miho said. "I mean...this is the first time in a long time that we're set on exploring and colonizing. That's why we're doing the Sensharade."

"Isn't that the whole point?" Yukari asked. "Whenever we host a Sensharade, it means one or more three things: we're doing something epic, at least five Virago girls are leaving the safety of our home state, which says a lot, and we're going to..."

"War," Miho said.

Some of the girls shivered.

"It's possibly all three this time," Miho admitted. "Girls, let's get ready."

As the Crucigon thundered by, more tanks appeared:

* * *

 **New Hetzer Tank**

A much smaller tank rolled behind, which looked like an Oplot-M tank, but with a Stryker Mobile Gun System's turret. Anzu reclined on top of the turret, munching on her sweet potato chips. Like the Crucigon, her tank had the team's logo: the same turtle logo as the old tank's, but stylized with spikes to make it look fearsome.

"This tanks feels weird," Yuzu admitted. "Now that I think about it, driving this feels more like driving a car, rather than a WWII-era tank."

"It's a modern tank," Momo groaned.

"I know," Yuzu began, but Momo, tired of being called "Momo-chan," assumed and exploded in anger at her.

"Many people remark," Anzu said casually. "That our tank looks like a hybrid of the Oplot-M tank and the Stryker Mobile Gun System. To be honest, it's better than both."

 **Volleystriker Tank**

Behind the Turtle Team, another tank rolled by. This time, it sped and almost hit the Turtle Team, but stopped just in time. It resembled a PL-01 light tank, except much bigger, with a turret that looked like the type from a Sabra main battle tank. Its Duck team logo shone in the sunlight, as Noriko looked on.

"Guts!" she roared through her loudspeaker, as the crowd cheered.

 **Tuskscatter Tank**

Soon, another tank rolled behind. This tank, however, looked like an oversized Leopard 2 tank or even a Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzer (actually, both), except with not one, but two cannons. Caesar and Erwin both sat, with their upper bodies exposed to the outside, smirking.

"Our Hippo tank," Erwin noted.

"The pride of our kind," Caesar noted. "It has survived multiple conflicts, and we are now ready to hit again."

"Is that a quote from a Roman general?" Erwin asked.

"Eh..." Caesar fidgeted. "No."

 **Usamega Tank**

The next tank was a colossus. It had a very robust appearance, as it thundered. The crowd whistled in amazement, as it rarely made an appearance. It looked like a 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled gun, except much bigger, bigger than even the Crucigon. However, the chassis looked like that of the M1 Abrams main battle tank, but much bigger to support the mammoth turret, which held FOUR cannons!

"Zon!" Azusa groaned. "This tank is so much bigger than our old one!"

"But bigger and better!" Ayumi and Aya both yelled.

"Now we have quadruple the firepower," Yuuki squealed. "As our old tank."

"You mean twice," Azusa corrected her, as she stood out to wave at the crowd. It was customary for the leader of each tank to get out a little, in order to wave at the people.

 **Eyewatcher Tank**

The next tank then followed behind, and the crowd playfully booed at it.

"Shut up!" Sodoko groaned, as she yelled through her PA system.

"Please be a little nicer to them," her teammates tried to calm her.

"But I am annoyed!" Sodoko groaned.

"You know that they're not booing at you in a bad way," Gomoyo reasoned.

"I know!" Sodoko answered. "Which makes it all the more annoying!"

Unlike the Usamega, the Eyewatcher tank of the Mallard Team was used frequently, as the mount of choice for the "Public Morals forces" of NOR. It was rather hard to tell apart from most actual main battle tanks, other than its size; however, it looked like a hybrid of the K2 Black Panther and the AMX Leclerc main battle tanks. It did, however, have two cannons: a 210-mm gun and a smaller 155-mm gun on top of the bigger one.

 **Chopgamer Tank**

The next tank was also a little hard to tell apart. Like other Virago tanks, it was larger than most Senshazon tanks. However, it looked like a hybrid of three tanks: Leopard 2, Merkava Mk.4, and Challenger 2. All three were the respective favorites of the Anteater Team: Nekota, Momoga, and Piyotan.

"Our tank does not really stand out nyaa," Nekota groaned.

"Cheer up momo," Momoga said, as she steered the tank.

"Yes," Piyotan said with a smile. "At least it's more fun than just training, piyo."

 **Repaileo Tank**

The next tank stirred roars from the mechanics in the crowd, as it was the tank of the Leopon Team. Unlike most, it was based on the Tiger II and the Tiger (P), both from WWII. However, it was stylized with modern and futuristic technologies, so that many people affably called it the "Modern Tiger tank." This and the Crucigon were the only tanks that could create UGVs from their own distinct chambers within! In addition, its 245-mm gun was legendary.

"What a wonderful weapon!" Nakajima declared, as she patted it while waving at the crowd.

"Good thing we added some perks from our old tank!" Tsuchiya said.

"It's a hot day," Hoshino casually.

"Come on," Suzuki said, and they all giggled.

 **Lansair Tank**

The last tank, however, drew rather quiet whispers. It was not only the tank of delinquents, but also the leader of the delinquents. Like the Shark Team, the tank was quite odd. It remarkably looked like an oversized Tank Technology Demonstrator tank from South Africa, except that it had not one, but TWO turrets, on top of each other! The upper turret had only a single main gun, while the lower turret had Three main guns!

"This tank is a little tedious," Murakami groaned.

"It has two turrets," Rum noted. "What can you do?"

"At least it's very durable," Flint said. "One time, ten enemy tanks fired at it, and we all not only survived, but gunned them all down, and then drove back home safely."

"And then had to get reprimanded," Ogin said. "As we were just doing that for fun."

The entire team laughed.

* * *

All nine tanks went through, climbing up the ramp and into one of the ships. Three city-carriers, based on the girls' old school ship, but bigger and more advanced, were ready to set sail. Two of them had already left the piers, waiting in the waters.

"Water is safe!" the face of a young-looking girl appeared on Miho's interface, with a captain's hat on. "Zon, it's a great feeling to sail the seas again!"

"It had been decades," Miho said, nodding in reply. "Well, girls, you all know what to do."

The Landsair tank groaned, as it finally managed to get in. As soon as it did, the ramp detached.

Then, it was time.

"Set sail!" Miho cried with all of her heart, speaking into her interface.

"Nishizumi-sensei," Anzu said playfully. "You said it wrong."

"Huh?"

The others then gave her a mysterious nod.

"Umm..." Miho pondered for a while, then gasped.

"Oh," Miho said. "Right, panzer vor!"

"Hoi!"

* * *

 **Alright, I hope that I have done well enough.**

 **Next time, the girls will explore their most valuable resources:**

 **The AFVs!**

* * *

 **Notes about some details:**

 **Miho's uniform is based on her casual outfits. If you're wondering exactly how it looks, I imagine it looking like a combination of that of Saber (of Fate/Stay Night) and Asuna (of Sword Art Online).**

 **Most Norans wore battle dresses, which are inspired by designs from the following:**

 **Aura Kingdom, an anime-inspired MMORPG; this game has very fancy outfits for avatars. It also is where I get inspiration for the wings. Some examples:**

 **-Keres outfits (at least one)**

 **-Laces dresses (at least two)**

 **-Astraea's gown**

 **-Asuna knight**

 **-Holy warrior outfits**

 **-Kimono outfits, which look more like Magical Girl dresses**

 **-Cyberpunk outfits**

 **-Elven garb**

 **-Evening gown**

 **-Heroine's outfit**

 **-Gothic Lolita jumperskirt**

 **Anime and manga, in general, are quite famous for their outlandish armor and dress styles, so you are free to look at those for inspiration of how I envision the dresses. Key point: Norans wear the most outlandish, and this influences them AND other states!**

 **Crazy nature of the Norans is also derived from the Ooarai teams' crazy antics in OVA 1: Water War. No kidding; the girls are quite crazy, so that Miho was left confused and even scared.**

* * *

 **Well, that's enough for now.**

 **Thank you; reviews etc. are appreciated.**

 **And have a panzer-ful day, and merry Christmas!**


	6. Chapter 6: More Tanks

**Greetings from SeekerMeeker.**

 **And merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!**

 **It has been a great journey, learning to balance both real-life living and the hobby of writing.**

 **;)**

 **Well, to all of you, please talk about what you are looking forward to, while reviewing as well.**

 **I honestly appreciate how and why you guys like my stories. Of course, like in real life, my stories had ups and downs. Some, like "Welcome to America, GuP," were canceled because of various reasons. Others, like "Girls Dead Rise," somehow worked out. Regardless of ups and downs, I know that the "path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn."**

 **Well then, let us begin.**

* * *

 **Note: there is a reason why I explain these AFVs. They are important to a degree. I will intend to prove that.**

 **If I am not doing a good job, please let me know. I want each detail to matter. Thank you.**

* * *

 **Girls und Krieg**

 **Chapter 6: More Tanks**

"Miporin!'

"Miho-san."

"Nishizumi-dono!"

"Miho."

"Coming!" Miho called out, as she ran towards her team.

She had been looking at the coasts for a while. In distance, already almost gone, the capital city of New Ooarai Republic shone, still as bright as she remembered. Massive skyscrapers and other magnificent works of architecture rose proudly in the sky; Miho wondered how big Tokyo was compared to her people's city. Around the buildings, she noticed trains speeding back and forth on magnetic tracks, while thousands and millions of girls went about, walking not only on the ground, but also special roads built unto the buildings. The winding roads looked like metallic vines that wrapped around the buildings. Some also rode on a variety of skateboards, bicycles, and even military vehicles.

Of course, at the last minute, the girls changed some plans, and she also was watching some ships leave from the city-carriers, with good reasons.

* * *

"Why do we have to leave?!" Murakami groaned.

Minutes into the journey, the Virago girls soon realized that their city lacked some of their own. Since they were leaders of their society, the Virago girls realized that some of them had to return back, in order to maintain order.

Thus, Miho and her Virago group decided to draw lots, in order to decide who would have to return to the city. In this case, the Mallard, Anteater, Leopon, and Shark teams were the ones chosen to return. This also meant that the Senshazons had to reorganize some of the groups. Fortunately, those loyal to the chosen teams did not mind; in return for the outcome, Miho and her groups decided to make very reasonable concessions.

"At least we're going to enjoy double the salaries," Rum said. "Which means more time to party!"

"No partying all night!" Sodoko admonished.

"Nyaa..." Nekota groaned.

"At least we'll get concessions," Momoga said. "And very good ones, momo!"

"And we'll get ready to come back!" Nakajima said.

"Our privateers are not very pleased," Ogin said. "But they appreciate the concessions."

Ogin referred to the delinquents, those loyal to her, as privateers, because that was one of their main jobs: they loved to act as professional pirates, scouting for stray ships and capturing them. Miho extracted a promise from them to ensure that they would not steal, but just capture the ships.

"I apologize for that," Miho said. "But lots are lots."

"In return," Ogin said. "A small group of my girls are willing to obey you, because they appreciate your concern."

It was rare for privateers to obey Virago girls other than those of the Shark Team, but Miho was a notable exception. Partly due to having good relations with Ogin and her team, and partly due to her handsome promises, some of them were willing to obey Miho.

"Thank you," Miho said. "Let us know how things go."

"I cannot believe that you delinquents are coming with us!" Sodoko grunted, as she and others boarded on smaller ships, which would return to the city.

"Lots are lots," Ogin said casually, as she drove her tank in. "But I believe in fate."

 **"Fate..." Miho pondered on that one.**

Miho then went to associate with her team and the other four Virago teams.

* * *

"These city-carriers are much like our old school ship," Saori noted.

"But much better," Mako said. "Like the old ones, these ships are designed to promote cross-disciplinary training, foster citizen independence, and create autonomy for the many types of bodies in NOR and elsewhere."

"Now why does that sound familiar?" Saori pondered out loud.

"Except more futuristic," Yukari said. "And much bigger! We have about 250,000 people in each carrier!"

"And we can accommodate more," Mako added. "Plus, these ships are officially about 15 km long, but in reality can expand to become bigger."

"And all of the departments from our old ship are here," Hana said. "At least we do not have to worry about other things."

"Like?"

"Like handling our AFVs," Hana said.

"Ah!" the others gasped.

"Let's go and check our arsenal," Miho said. "It's been a while, but our tanks are secured. Let's check how others are."

* * *

"MAIN BATTLE TANKS!" Yukari screamed with delight, as she and others entered one of the military compartments within the city-carrier. They were onboard the city-carrier that held the most tanks.

"It feels funny," Hana admitted, as Yukari squealed. "That decades ago, we had only nine tanks in our club. Now, we have a real army with real weapons at our disposal."

Miho nodded, as she and her team walked around (the other teams had to deal with other task and stuff). Everywhere, they saw girls being busy. Some were inspecting the vehicles carefully, while others were tweaking some parts. Some, however, were just casually chatting about. Most were doing this...with their overly casual outfits, including the battle bikinis.

"I am glad that Sodoko-san is not here," one of the girls openly said, posing her body.

"Trying to attract me?" another asked with a slight bit of sarcasm.

The girl in bikini frowned.

"I am just wondering," she groaned. "I have been curious about how being with men felt like. After seeing our girls here and all, it feels interesting."

"You mean what Sodoko calls the 'Family Life Education' stuff?" her friend asked. "And other M-rated stuff?"

The crowd around them, and Miho's teams, laughed together. Miho smiled.

"At least we're having fun," Miho said, as she and others looked around.

The five Virago teams then faced a door. Above, it said:

MAIN BATTLE TANKS

"Let's enter," Miho said, as she took the initiative to open the doors.

"Nishizumi-sensei!" a few girls yelled, as they rushed. "We're supposed to open the doors for YOU!"

"I am still a girl," Miho said, giggling nervously. "I am not an elder."

"Technically we are," Mako said. "We are at least 300 years old."

"Don't remind me!" Saori groaned, as the teams entered.

* * *

 **Main Battle Tank Storage Room**

The teams and other girls around them laughed, as they entered. Within, they saw ten different models, set up like museum displays.

"Our Senshazon tanks," Miho said. "Zon, aren't they so different?"

 **Unlike normal Human tanks, most Senshazon tanks had 155-mm guns, the size more typical of self-propelled guns. However, Senshazon tanks were far stronger and faster, enhanced by what Mako called "Senshazon magic." This essentially was like a "cheat code," allowing the tanks to function in ways impossible for Human vehicles, such as a limited ability to self-repair regardless of conditions! All tanks, with exceptions, doubled as anti-aircraft weapons and even engineering vehicles; they all had special mechanisms to attack aircraft, and to help repair other vehicles! Thus, unlike Human armies, Senshazon forces did not have separate brigades of anti-air or engineering vehicles.**

"That essentially makes logistics and all of those 'fun stuff,'" Mako noted. "Much easier and less stressful to deal with. If Alisa was here, she would have said that even kids could have learned to use them all."

"That would be too dangerous," Miho said with a giggle. "Except that we let kids drive the driver's training tanks and vehicles, because magic makes them easier and safer."

I **ndeed, Senshazon main battle tanks not only wielded 155-mm guns, but also emitted magical auras, which augmented performance and morale among not only vehicles around them, but also even the infantry units themselves. With exceptions, all tanks looked like the originals they were based on, except more advanced and larger: 1 m longer, 1 m wider, and 1 m higher. They also had a maximum road speed of at least 2.5 times that of the originals. For example, a tank that normally drove at 70 km/h could drive at up to 175 km/h as a Senshazon version.**

"But there is one odd thing about our tanks and AFVs," Miho said.

Everybody knew what she had in mind:

"Some odd, unique abilities," Mako said.

 **Most or all AFVs somehow had some weird, unique magical abilities, in addition to magical enchantments. It was not known how this worked, as this started to occur after the fall of the Unity Tower happened. When the Unity Tower fell, it emitted a blast of strange magical energy, which appeared like nuclear fallout. However, it only affected AFVs, granting them specific powers that either boosted their performance, or gave them attributes that were scientifically impossible. Some were confirmed, while others were more subtle. Regardless, all Senshazon AFVs were essentially overpowered and superior to the non-magical counterparts. This was also why the Norans had not one, but ten types of tanks!**

They walked to the first on the left side, inspecting it:

* * *

 **Xabra**

"The Xabra main battle tank," Yukari noted, almost jumping with delight. "One of the few tanks that is a modification of an older model! A massive upgrade of the M60 Patton of the Cold War era! Well, to be honest, I wish that we had a tank from WWII."

The girls laughed again, as Miho looked up at it.

The Xabra was their most common tank so far. On all three city-carriers, they carried 15,000 in total, a fraction of the actual total number. Formerly known as the Sabra-X, it was based on the Sabra Mk.3 of Israel. It had superior firepower, mobility, and protection, with perks unique to NOR, such as the Hyper Trophy, a Noran upgrade of the Trophy active protection system of Israel. Hence, the Xabra was extremely difficult to kill, as its active protection system destroyed most types of missiles. If they did strike, they had to deal with the incredibly thick armor. Currently, its magical ability was not known, although Miho speculated that it had to do with improving the protection.

"It sure is useful," Miho said. "However, it is very heavy, and is still based on an old tank model. Hence, it suffers from relying too much on its armor. Sure, it is cheap and easy to make, which is why we have so many, but it is most useful as a wall of defense. That's why we use it mostly as vanguards."

The girls then moved away, in order to check another:

 **Raio**

"Raio!" Yukari squealed. "Based on the Osorio main battle tank of Brazil! I don't really know much about this one..."

"The name is Portuguese for 'thunderbolt,'" Saori said. "The Osorio was originally designed for the Brazilian Army. However, during the 1980's and 1990's, long story short, the project fell apart, partly due to bankruptcy of the company that made it. Had circumstances proven better, this would have been very good. In fact, in a competition in Saudi Arabia, it won out against the French AMX-40, the British Challenger 1, and even the American M1A1 Abrams!"

The Raio main battle tank was the second-most common. Unlike the Xabra, this one was more adapted for speed and mobility. While the Xabra's speed was about 137.5 km/h (85 mph), the Raio could speed up to 175 km/h (108.7 mph), making it much faster. It was almost 20 t lighter than the Xabra, allowing it to be even more mobile. Like Senshazon tanks, it had dramatically improved firepower, mobility, and protection, but with more emphasis on the first two. Unlike the Xabra, Raio had a confirmed ability: super condition, which essentially sounded boring, but it improved the tank's overall capacity and performance (firepower, mobility, and protection).

"Raio is very useful," Miho admitted. "Of all the tanks, it resembled our Panzer IV ausf. H. the most, being jack-of-all-trade. It is generally a very versatile tank. However, being jack-of-all trade, it is hard to use it for a specific task at hand. We mostly use it for flanking. With little armor, it is more useful for ambush and shoot-and-scoot missions."

"That's why we drive it around a lot," Yukari noted.

"It also feels like one," Mako admitted, as they all turned to look at the next:

 **Togra**

"Togra," Mako said. "To be honest, this one is unexpected. It is one of the few that we created out of various models. It is semi-original, inspired by the designs of the T-14 Armata of Russia and the Type 10 of Japan. However, being our invention, it has very advanced features."

The Togra main battle tank was third in line. Unlike the Xabra or the Raio, this one was designed to be truly futuristic, with ultra-advanced features, such as a highly advanced drone system, which were absent in the Xabra and the Raio. Outwardly, it resembled the Type 10, except with a sleeker appearance, with stealth armor! Internally, however, it resembled the T-14 Armata, with the crew seated in an armored cell, equipped with a totally unmanned turret. Its drone system stored and controlled up to five drones; each tank had various types, based on the situations. Some drones were incredibly dangerous, such as a drone that controlled spider mines! Like most tanks, however, its magical ability was unconfirmed.

"This is an unexpectedly good design," Miho complimented. "It has the jack-of-all-trade of Raio, but with more protection and a drone system. However, it is very expensive, as it is the only tank specifically designed for girls with certain conditions."

"Conditions?" Hana asked.

"Such as physical disabilities," Miho explained. "Some girls still want to participate, but they have broken legs or something that hinder their ability to fight. Togra is designed specifically for that. Unfortunately, since it is designed for girls with disabilities and certain conditions, the drone system we used on it is incredibly expensive."

The girls sighed. The Togra had an especially expensive drone system, because it is the only drone system specifically designed to fully self-repair a tank. Unfortunately, it was incredibly expensive, causing the Togra to be about twice as expensive as an average main battle tank!

"But the next one is both affordable and awesome!" Yukari squealed, pointing at the next tank.

 **Merkava Mk.5 Lev Ruach**

"Merkava Mk.5 Lev Ruach," Saori said, analyzing it. "It has an odd appearance."

"It's because it's designed to have the engine in the front," Yukari explained. "That design also creates more space in the rear, allowing for greater storage of stuff and even soldiers."

She was right. The Merkava was a main battle tank of Israel, but this was a Senshazon version. The fourth-most common, the "Lev Ruach" was Hebrew for "Wind Heart," while the "Merkava" was Hebrew for "chariot." Indeed, it was designed much like a chariot, but much heavier and harder to kill. It was one of the best tanks in the Noran arsenal, and a strong favorite. Unlike most tanks, it had Israeli-based technologies, such as the Hyper Trophy active protection system, among the very best protection systems in the world. Even crazier, it was one of only five Noran tanks with helmet-mounted displays, a feature normally found in advanced fighter jets!

However, the tank was unique in many ways. It was the only main battle tank of NOR with an APC capacity; it could carry up to eight people or soldiers, and still fire and move normally! This, combined with its performance-boosting aura, rendered it incredibly reliable and beloved by Norans. Its magical ability was also incredibly reliable; Miho called it the "super chariot." This ability essentially boosted ALL of its attributes; it not only boosted its firepower, mobility, and protection (thus, its damage output, speed and agility, and armor all improved), but also boosted its aura, its charge ability, and even its ability to store more (from carrying eight to a whopping 16). In other words, the super chariot ability boosted almost everything good about the tank, thus making it a little overpowered.

"This is definitely one of our best," Miho said, caressing the tank with her left hand. "It is technically a futuristic chariot, in the form of a main battle tank. Like chariots of old, it could fire on the move, load and unload people, and even charge into enemy lines well."

 **Unlike Human tanks, Senshazon tanks were literally designed to charge into enemy lines, thus making them even more dangerous than the normal tanks.**

"A little expensive," Miho added. "But definitely very reliable. We recently channeled more of our resources into making these, and we are in the process of making more."

"Good thing," Mako said, groaning. "Those Xabra we had were a little too tedious. Even though the Merkava weighed more, it is obviously better-designed."

"But I thought that the next one is quite advanced," Hana said at the next tank.

 **Reapard**

"But this one is great too!" Yukari shouted with delight; she was now starting to get a little too jittery.

Like Togra, Reapard was based on at least two different tank models. In this case, it was based on the Leopard 2A7+ of Germany and Challenger 2 of UK. Hence, it had many traits in common with both, such as the Leopard's great performance and Challenger's great range. Like both, it had advanced computer systems and other battle systems. However, Reapard was designed to be even more armored and better armed than either. Unlike both, it was designed to be great at charging into enemy lines. Hence, it had extremely durable armor and very powerful engines, allowing the tank to easily charge in, and then leave very quickly. Its magical ability made it even more formidable; the "super engineering" dramatically boosted the tank's engineering systems, allowing it to repair other vehicles with great speed and efficiency.

"All of our main battle tanks can double as engineering vehicles," Mako said. "But this one has an ability that essentially makes it at least twice as effective. Simple but very effective and important."

"The combination of gifts," Miho said, caressing it. "From Darjeeling's and...onee-chan's."

The girls behind her looked at each other. Ever since the Unity Tower fell, Miho lost contact with her only family member in Alterra. When the portals opened up throughout Japan, it did not swallow everyone. Miho recalled her mother's face, full of shock as she saw both of her daughters sucked in.

"Sorry," Miho said, smiling to try and change the mood. "But yes, this one is also being produced en masse, because it is much like the Merkava, but faster and better designed to withstand direct ramming attacks. I like it."

"What about the next one?" Saori asked, more to distract Miho.

 **Oklo**

"And here is the Oklo," Hana said, gasping a little. "No matter how many times I see it, I am amazed that this tank even works."

Oklo was another semi-original invention of NOR. Like Togra and Reapard, it was a combination of various models. Unlike both, however, Oklo was made from three types: K2 Black Panther of South Korea, Merkava Mk.4 Barak of Israel, and M1 Thumper of USA. It was about the same size as Reapard; however, it was distinct in being one of five tanks with helmet-mounted displays (the others were the two Merkava models and two heavy tanks), but Oklo was the only non-Merkava main battle tank with helmet-mounted displays. Unlike most, it had a 165-mm gun, and was the only main battle tank of NOR with an actual nuclear reactor encased inside! The reactor within was Oklo's main source of energy, allowing it to function with incredible efficiency. Even crazier, Oklo had various systems within, which protected the crew from the reactor, and even processed the depleted uranium for use as shells and even armor plates! Due to the danger of nuclear, the Oklo had a magical ability that fit it well: the ability to remove side effects of the nuclear energy, thus allowing it to use nuclear energy with ease, without fear of nuclear contamination.

"Another great invention," Miho said, caressing it. "Except for cost and a few issues, Oklo is one of our very best. I know that the mechanics are currently salvaging some of our Xabra and Raio, in order to make more of Oklo, Reapard, and Merkava."

"This one was scary," Mako admitted. "Although it had protection, the reactor made such a horrible noise."

"That's because it is not a fission reactor," Miho said. "From what little I know, it utilizes a miniature fusion reactor, which makes a weird noise, almost like an inhuman scream. We also have a hard time reverse-engineering that part of the Oklo. For some strange reasons, our mechanics can easily make more of it, but only for Oklo tanks."

"Why is that even possible?" Saori asked.

"I think it's due to magic," Mako said. "That's the only reason. But that bothers me: **even after centuries, we still are figuring out some odd things with our Senshazon magic. Unlike magic in fantasy novels, we cannot freely utilize it, but it works much like energy in our power cords. Plus, it sets up odd limits, such as the fusion reactors being allowed only for Oklo.** When we tried to make them bigger for use as actual nuclear reactors, they almost...exploded."

The girls shivered. One time, their mechanics created a version large enough to power a single Human-size aircraft carrier, but the reactor almost experienced a meltdown, forcing the girls to shut it down.

"Imagine if that thing exploded," Mako said, causing everybody to shiver in fear. "I...I-I should not have said that."

"Don't worry," Miho said, trying to comfort her. "It's good to have a voice of reason. It helps in these times."

"The next one is way safer," Saori said.

 **K3 Zainichi**

"This is one of our best!" Yukari squealed, rubbing her cheeks into its plates.

"You keep saying that for each tank," Mako noted.

K3 Zainichi was one of the most futuristic tanks in Noran arsenal. Based on the K2 Black Panther of South Korea, it was one of the best and most expensive tanks, both Human and Senshazon. It cost about twice as much as the Xabra and even Raio, because it had numerous futuristic systems in place, rendering it more like a futuristic tank than a "normal" main battle tank. It was one of the few tanks with some experimental systems, such as a force field projector and a highly upgraded drone system. However, its magical ability made it even more formidable; the ability allowed the tank to fire missiles regardless of the environment; for example, it could fire even underwater!

"This one is both nimble and strong for its size," Miho said, caressing it. "It is incredibly expensive to make, on par with Togra. However, the cost is worth it, as it was the main reason behind a good number of our victories."

"Boo," Saori admitted. "Why can't Japan make better tanks? Our Type 10 is way inferior compared to this Korean monster!"

"Unlike Japan," Mako explained. "South Korea has more freedom to make stronger weapons, because of both the past and because of North Korea."

"Imagine if we have to fight against North Koreans," Hana pondered.

Everybody shivered; even Hana slightly flinched.

"Let's get to the next one," Miho said.

 **Oplot-X**

"Oplot-X," Mako noted. "Based on the Oplot-M of Ukraine, or more specifically, a Ukrainian upgrade of the Soviet T-80. I am surprised that Katyusha was not angry at us for using it."

"Because it's from Ukraine," Yukari said. "Not from Russia. She's still seething a little at Mika, though."

The Oplot-X was the third-rarest of all Noran tanks. Being an upgrade of an old tank model, it was not very popular among the Norans, who were more interested in the more advanced tanks. However, it served its purpose well, as its magical ability allowed it to flatten to impossible levels, allowing it to avoid obstacles and shots.

"It is a lot stronger than it appears," Miho said, inspecting it. "Sure, it does not look very impressive, but a good number of our girls like it, because its magical ability allows it to avoid shots from tanks."

"Flattening to impossible levels," Mako noted. "That ability actually makes sense. Sometimes, we can tell what a vehicle's magical ability is, based on its features alone. The Oplot-X has a very unusual but flat appearance, which allows it to better avoid being hit, much like the StuG III of Hippo Team."

"Speaking of unusual," Saori said. "This one is odd."

 **Hashashin**

"This is an oddball," Mako retorted. "I can see loud and clear, that despite the denial of Iran, this tank is based on the Russian tanks."

The Hashashin was based on the Karrar of Iran, which greatly resembled the T-90. It was a capable tank, but more importantly, its magical ability granted it some attributes of an assassin. By this, it allowed the tank to boost speed, agility, and even stealth, making the tank easier to "assassinate" its targets more easily. It helped that its name was a variation of the word "assassin."

"Useful more for quick kills," Miho noted. "It's quite good at eliminating certain key targets, but it is not as effective as most of our other tanks."

"Not very impressive," Yukari admitted. "I mean, I like T-90, but Iran claiming that it's their own? I don't really buy it, but the last one is definitely real and original."

 **Merkava Gibor Ruach**

"And the rarest," Mako said. "But strongest of our main battle tanks."

The Merkava Gibor Ruach was one of two Merkava tanks in the Noran arsenal. However, this one was Hebrew for "Wind Mighty," with good reasons. It was the only main battle tank of NOR that wielded a gun with true magnetic rails! Although all tanks had some railgun technologies, the Gibor Ruach's was the closest to being a true railgun. In fact, it was the only one of its kind, the smallest possible, at 175-mm. Like the Oklo's fusion reactor, it was somehow resistant to reverse-engineering; every time the mechanics tried to take it apart to inspect it, it exploded or was about to explode! It was feared by many who saw its awesome strength; it could fire shells as far away as 100 miles! However, the tank was most accurate at around 25 miles, but was still a lot more than almost all other tanks. However, the gun had a colossal recoil rate, so that the Gibor Ruach was designed specifically to accommodate the railgun: for example, it sacrificed its APC capacity, in order to include numerous systems and mechanisms to keep the tank stable as it fired.

"This is our rarest tank," Miho said, caressing it. "With good reasons. It is the only main battle tank with a railgun-like cannon this small."

"Just like the Oklo's reactors," Mako said. "We cannot really reverse-engineer this one. Almost all other school-turned states wanted to reverse-engineer this, but we have failed.

"But that's so weird," Yukari said. "It's as if some sort of magic is impeding us, forcing us to just simply make it just for the Merkava Gibor Ruach."

"It is as if the cannon," Hana said. "Only wants to be equipped by the Gibor."

"That IS weird," Saori admitted. "At least we could simply co-opt our Merkava tanks, in order to allow this."

"But let's get to the next room!" Yukari requested with glee, almost jumping. "We have more!"

"Alright," Miho said, trying to calm her down. "Let's go to the next one."

* * *

The girls then left the room, then entered another one, but with a different title:

LIGHT AND HEAVY TANKS

"In addition to our 10 main battle tanks," Yukari noted with glee. "We have six other tanks, four light and two heavy!"

The girls then saw them all in front of them. Unlike the main battle tanks, which were lined up together, these tanks were in a semi-circle. Starting from the left, there were three light tanks, then a heavy tank, then a light one, and then a heavy one, in order of numbers from most common to rarest:

 **Tarpan**

"Tarpan," Hana said, caressing the extremely small tank. "It sure felt exhilarating, as it felt like riding a horse."

The Tarpan was named after the wild horse. In fact, it was based on an Iranian tank known as Tosan, which was Iranian for "wild horse" as well. Based on the FV101 Scorpion tank of UK, it was designed to be a quick reaction tank, as it was incredibly light, at a mere 8 t. Indeed, although it had very weak weapons, it was incredibly fast and agile, so that it was useful as a reconnaissance vehicle, and as an infantry support unit. Even better, its magical ability granted it an incredible level of stamina, allowing it to travel for days on end without refueling!

"It is designed to be a tankette," Miho said. "It is obviously for rapid response, not for sustained, heavy combat. Outside of battle, many of us love to drive it, like real cars."

"That's why it's our most common light tank," Mako noted. "But the next one is a surprise."

 **Temper**

"This is an oddball," Yukari admitted. Everybody around her agreed.

The Temper was an unexpected invention. After the loss of the Unity Tower, a few very crazy geniuses within NOR stumbled upon a vault, which contained various models of the TAM, an Argentinian light tank. They then decided to try and tweak the tank, which resulted in a tank that was very strange. In terms of appearance, it appeared like a miniature Merkava tank, because of its turret style (based on the TAM 2IP, which was designed by Israel). However, its magical ability allowed it to transform into a self-propelled gun, equipped with a 175-mm gun. Hence, the Temper was designed to be a light tank, which could double as a light artillery unit.

"It's definitely weird," Miho admitted with a giggle. "But it has proven to be useful. As a light tank, the Temper was both fast and easy to maneuver, although its firepower is weak. However, its magical ability allows it to temporarily transform into a slightly larger artillery tank. In that form, it proved to be a surprise, as it can easily decimate our targets."

"Now that I think about it," Hana said. "It can transform much like our Crucigon."

"Except that our Crucigon is designed to transform," Yukari corrected her. "While the Temper relies on magic strictly to transform."

The others nodded, as they looked at the next one.

 **K21-XEN5 Kitten**

"Kitten!" Saori said, as she hugged it.

The K21-XEN5 Kitten was a light tank, based on the chassis of a K-21 IFV of South Korea. Typical for a light tank, it had a 140-mm gun; unlike main battle tanks, light tanks often had smaller guns (that made sense, since they were lighter than main battle tanks). It was distinct for being quite cheap and easy to make. In fact, it was so easy that the girls decided to add a drone system to it, which resulted in the discovery of its magical ability: super drones, which was basically enchanting the drones to make them even better. For example, a Kitten equipped to hold a repair drone could upgrade the drone, in order to repair at twice the expected rate!

"One of our most popular tanks," Miho said. "To be honest, I did not expect such a relatively cheap tank to be so good. Its super drone ability basically makes it slightly overpowered."

"Which is why it's rapidly gaining in popularity," Hana noted. "Before we added the drone system, it was just a light tank. Everyone knows about the Tarpan and the Temper, and their powers. However, once the Kitten proved its ability, many girls demand that we have more of it."

"South Korea sure knows how to make good vehicles," Mako admitted. "I wish that Japan did it better, but the next one is very good."

 **Golem**

"I think this is a massive favorite," Mako said, and that was an understatement.

The Golem was one of two Noran heavy tanks. Like the WWII-era heavy tanks, it was equipped with a massive gun; it had a 195-mm gun. It was also the heaviest of all Noran tanks, at a whopping 81 t. However, the Golem had a bizarre magical ability, in which the tank's firepower, mobility, and even armor were determined by the crew's makeup. For example, if the crew was mostly made up of strong, robust girls, then the tank became extremely well-armored and very powerful as a result! Thus, many girls scrambled to get a chance to even man it, because it represents the girls' best attributes."

"This is perhaps our game changer," Miho said, analyzing it and caressing it. "It is the only tank that transforms, based on the crew. When we boarded one, it turned into a tank that looked remarkably like our Crucigon."

"But it could not transform into an artillery," Yukari said with a groan.

"It cannot mimic the Crucigon," Mako said. "Crucigon is on a different level from the Golem. Unlike the Crucigon, which we cannot reverse engineer, the Golem was easily mass-produced."

"And it can become quite overpowered," Yukari admitted, which others agreed wholeheartedly. "That's why we had to put up a special system, just to restrict our girls from crowding over to use it...And it's more popular than some of our main battle tanks."

"And more popular than even a light tank!" Saori groaned. "But the next one is one of my favorites!"

 **Keto**

"I love this one!" Saori squealed, hugging it. "Because it helps me with weight loss!"

"In your face," Mako groaned.

The Keto was a light tank, named after the Ketogenic diet popular in the US. It was loosely based on the Kitten and Temper light tanks, but was semi-original in design. Unlike most tanks, it had a special 140-mm gun, which could function as a 125-mm rapid-fire gun! It also had semi-levitation jet boosters, which allowed the tank to float for a while. Its magical ability allowed it to save a lot of energy, in return for using the girls' energy pools, which meant that the girls lost weight as a result.

"It's called a weight loss tank with good reasons," Miho said with a giggle. "But seriously, why even have it?"

"Because we want to!" Saori responded with glee.

Mako silently rolled her eyes, as they went to the last tank:

 **Aryeh**

"And our rarest heavy tank and rarest tank overall," Mako said.

The Aryeh, Hebrew for "lion," was a heavy tank, based on the models of K3 Zainichi, Merkava Gibor Ruach, and some parts from others. It was technically a typical heavy tank, equipped with a 195-mm. However, it was based on the T34 Calliope, so that it had giant rocket packs on top of the turret! Hence, the tank doubled as a tank and an artillery!

"A very powerful one," Miho admitted. "Slow, which is typical for a heavy tank. However, its massive firepower makes it very dangerous. It can utilize both a giant cannon and rocket packs, something very rare for a tank."

"And we used it to great effects!" Yukari squealed, rubbing her cheeks into its plates. "Unlike the T34 Calliope, which looked cool, our Aryeh actually worked. Few of our enemies anticipated it being effective. A rocket launcher on top of a heavy tank! And it worked!"

"We still don't know what its magical power is," Hana said. "But by the sound of it, the fact that it works maybe its power."

"I don't think so," Mako objected. "Because we added features to ensure that the rocket launchers worked."

* * *

"So," Miho said. "We have our Virago tanks, which each of us Virago team possesses. Like the Oklo's reactor and the Gibor Ruach's railgun, none of our Virago tanks can be reverse-engineered. We were, however, able to incorporate some features from our normal tanks, such as super-advanced computer systems."

"Now that you say it," Saori said. "Except for Gibor Ruach, all of our main battle tanks are essentially similar."

"They are not!" Yukari responded with horror. "Each one is unique in its own way! Look at their turrets!"

"Calm down," Miho said. "But both of you are right. Most main battle tanks nowadays have features in common, but they have subtle differences."

"I also need to point out," Mako interjected. "That in rare cases, we were able to incorporate some unique features into other tanks. For example, only five of our tanks have the helmet-mounted displays: both of our Merkava, the Oklo, and both of our heavy tanks. It appears that except for Oklo, only Israeli-based tanks can accept helmet-mounted displays. Our mechanics are currently trying to create our own helmet-mounted displays, so that we can incorporate them into other tanks.

"Hopefully so," Miho said. "But they are not always useful; I still like to watch with my head exposed."

"But make sure to be safe!" Saori groaned. "This is war, not sport, you know!"

"Miho always did that in sports," Mako noted. "And we easily avoided them. Ah, I wish I can dodge."

"You're still lazy!" Saori groaned.

"Speaking of lazy," Yukari said. "Where is everybody else?"

"We're just strolling about," Saori said.

"Before we are called," Hana said.

"Nishizumi-sensei!" a voice echoed, as the girls' communications systems activated.

"Coming!" Miho said, as her team moved out.

"Wonder what they need from us?" Hana asked, as they moved up to the surface.

"More adventures!" Saori cried.

"Or the rest of our AFVs!" Yukari squealed.

* * *

 **Yes, I will introduce more, but I will rush over the less important ones. The more important AFVs will get more attention. I know that all this may sound like an "info dump," but these AFVs are integral to my story. For the Norans, the diversity of tanks reflects the diverse cultural nature of NOR.**

 **You will see more.**

 **By the way, I am curious: if you review, let me know which tank is your favorite, and why.**

 **I appreciate reviews, especially those that help me to ensure that I am not being "over-expository." Unlike my previous works, this story is intended to have a very large world, so I intend to show that through my research.**

 **Boy, this sounds like a lot...**

 **Well, panzer vor, and a happy New Year!**


	7. Chapter 7: Guns and Steel

**Happy New Year!**

 **So, this is the next chapter, and I hope to move the story further!**

* * *

 **Girls und Krieg**

 **Chapter 7: Guns and Steel**

"Ah..."

The girls were out of the warehouses, and stood on top of the surface. Breathing in, they took in the fresh, oceanic air, which felt so refreshing and nostalgic. After all, it reminded them of their past lives.

"It feels like years," Saori admitted. "Since we're on the city-carrier, much like us on our old school ship."

"The tanks sure give us some nostalgia," Hana said a little dreamily.

"What about other AFVs?" Yukari interjected, looking around enthusiastically. "Like our artilleries?"

"Yukari-san," Miho said. "We'll just look around; I honestly think that after the tour of our Noran tanks, I think we're in the mood of just...enjoying the fresh air outside."

The others nodded, while Yukari deflated.

"Fine..." she groaned.

Miho giggled, as she herself looked around.

They were on top of a high area, which was quite tranquil. Despite having so many people onboard, the city-carrier was designed to have vast spaces, allowing the Norans to have some breathing space. Like most Senshazons, Norans did not mind sharing space, but did prize some privacy. A few Norans were chatting and walking, especially towards a busier section of the carrier. A single tank rumbled through.

"Coming through!" a voice echoed, as the Merkava Mk.5 Lev Ruach thundered. The 65-tonnes behemoth rolled down on the bio-asphalt (asphalt made from biodegradable materials), as the tracks creaked and groaned. Behind, it dragged a wagon full of crates.

"Oh!" the voice echoed again, as the figure of a young girl stood up to salute (the tank continued to move). "Nishizumi-sensei! Anglerfish-sensei! Good day!"

"Good day," the girls saluted back. In NOR, the Virago teams were also called "sensei."

"It feels weird," Saori admitted, as the titan thundered away. "That we're now the leaders, all because of being Virago."

"What is Virago again?" Hana asked randomly. "I know that we're leaders with special powers, but..."

"Magical Girls," Mako replied. "Senshadou-style."

The others stared at her.

"In other words," Miho said, giggling a little. "Virago is the term for the 'queen' of Senshazons. Much like the ant queen in her colony, the Virago is in charge of the welfare of her society. **However, unlike the queen ant, the Virago uses magic to lead society. Unlike most Senshazons, who have a very limited ability to use magic, we can use it a lot more freely."**

Miho then snapped her right fingers, and a tree nearby shook. Its flowers then blossomed, and a swarm of bees suddenly swarmed over them, then the flowers bloated. In the span of only about a minute, a few red apples appeared.

"We're not that strong at magic," Mako said, salivating a little as the girls picked them up.

"That's just a tip of the iceberg," Miho said, as she and her friends ate them. Five crunches echoed, as the girls relished the magically grown apples.

"But not all of us can do that," Saori noted. "Miporin is one of the strongest of us Virago. However, all Virago seem to have this 'mind-control' ability over our Senshazon girls."

"Or just pure charisma," Mako said. "I remember getting some Pravdan girls to get me zefir sweets, and it was actually nice. They obeyed without question."

"Mako!" Saori declared, annoyed. "You can ask them, but did you control them?!"

"I asked them," she replied, although she snickered. "I used my charm to tell them to get sweets for me."

Saori groaned in response.

"Ah," Hana said. "We nicknamed that power as 'Virago Charisma' or something like that."

"Which sort of disturbs me," Saori added. "But at least the girls have free will; Mako, you are at least right that charisma plays a role. Unfortunately, we have no boys..."

"We have no boys here," Mako said. "For obvious reasons, we don't need them; we have other ways to get more girls."

Saori glared at her.

"Speaking of more girls," Hana said. "Some of our girls are now enthusiastic about expanding our territories..."

The girls stood silent. Even Hana realized the gravity of the situation, as her words weighed a little heavy in their conscience.

Mako audibly gulped.

"That's...something we have to consider," Miho said. "Hopefully not; we're just focused on finding other factions, especially since the waters are now safe. Last time I heard from the captain, she said that we're going to stay a little off the coast, because they started to get a little too rocky."

"Rocky?" Hana asked.

"Too dangerous for our city-carrier," Saori explained. "And yes, now that we've been thinking about it, how long have we-"

"Coming through!" another voice echoed, as a K3 Zainichi rumbled by. Three drones, resembling futuristic satellites or floating robots from some science-fiction games, floated around, constantly inspecting the tank.

The Anglerfish Team moved away in response, but the tank suddenly stopped.

"Anglerfish-sensei!" a voice roared, as the face of a young commander got out.

"Oh hello," Miho said, waving at her. "Noon-chan, what's up?"

Noon was one of the youngest generations of Senshazons. Like most girls of her age, she had never seen anything outside of her city limits. Hence, for girls like her, the journey was the thrill of a lifetime.

"I have great news!" she shouted, as she got down. She had very long brown hair, hanging down to her groin. However, her hair color looked familiar to Miho.

 _Onee-chan_ , Miho thought.

"Sensei?" she asked, staring at her curiously.

"Oops," Miho said, shaking herself. "Sorry, so what's the report?"

"Our girls are pumping!" she cried with glee, showing her the report. "A good number of us are pregnant, getting ready to colonize an area!"

"Already?!" the girls gasped.

"Wait," Hana said. "How did they get pregnant?"

The others stared at her.

"We've been Senshazons for about 300 years," Mako said, clearly gawking at her. "And you have no idea?"

"Well," Noon began. "We have no boys, because-"

The other Anglerfish girls waved off and gave "X" signs, silencing her.

"Ah," Hana said. "I remember now. How did I forget?"

The others stared at her; even Noon made a facepalm.

"It's Family Life Education," Mako said. "You are the President of NOR; how can you forget this?"

"I guess I still feel like a human sometimes," Hana admitted.

"I guess you all are very serious about this," Miho said, giggling nervously. Noon simply shrugged; like most Norans, she was somewhat used to President Hana's...quirks.

"We've never done this before," Noon admitted. "But we've seen and read about all these crazy exploration and adventures about great explorers of the world! I hope to become like them, such as Leif Erikson, Zheng He, Ferdinand Magellan, and Christopher Columbus!"

The Anglerfish girls looked at each other.

"Not exactly," Miho said. "Remember that not all of them had clean or even...vaguely good motives."

"I understand," Noon said, deflating in a way that looked much like Yukari's (causing the team to giggle), then brightened up. "But yes, we hope to prove that we're not like normal Humans, just gunning down and stealing things and all. We are SENSHAZONS!"

She raised her left fist, and her teammates followed suit.

"Such is the vigor of youth," Saori sighed.

"We're still young at heart," Mako said. "But I have not grown; girls."

"Yes?" the K3 Zainichi crew asked.

"Will you-"

Saori shook herself, cutting her off.

"Aww..." Mako groaned. Apparently, Mako was trying to use her "Virago charisma" to tell them to "give her height."

"We will be in charge of the decisions," Miho said firmly, although she giggled at the girls' antics. "I...I do not want the reputations of us Senshazons to be tarnished or something."

Noon smiled.

 **"Don't worry!" Noon said cheerfully, as she got up into her tank again. "If that happens, then our Elohim will send us help!"**

"Just drive safely!" the Anglerfish girls shouted, as the tank rumbled away.

"Elohim," Mako said. "Such an ironic name; it is one of the most popular names for the supreme god in our state."

"It is all the more ironic," Hana admitted. "Although we are still Japanese at heart, most of our girls have diversified in terms of religion."

 **"It's because of a myth," Mako said. "A myth very universal among the Norans and other Senshazons: that religion somehow helps them to wield magic more effectively and more efficiently. Except for us Virago, almost all girls in our state adhere to some form of religion. 'Elohim' is the most popular one, because it is the name of the God of both Judaism and Christianity. However, it literally translates to 'Gods,' so the Norans found it appealing, because they somehow interpreted it to mean that God is manifest in a variety of religious traditions."**

"And look at our Norans now," Miho said, showing them.

As they were walking along, the girls sighted a variety of homes and businesses, but one thing that stood out was churches. Churches after churches lined a specific road, while they dotted other places.

"Unlike Human churches," Miho noted. "Our churches double as a variety of businesses, such as schools, meeting houses, and even warehouses. And Mako-san, you are right about that myth: the myth that being religious allows the girls to somehow control magic more easily. Although we don't really see it, the girls seem to behave better."

"I guess that's the magic of it," Saori inferred. "The magic not because of actually controlling the elements, but the magic of controlling how to be Senshazons."

"I wonder why?" Hana asked rhetorically.

 **"Who cares?" Mako said, yawning. "Churches are boring, but at least they teach the girls to behave and give them some sort of identity. It's almost as if the churches teach the girls to respect us Virago."**

 **"But that alone can't be the whole reason," Hana said. "We go to shrines to pray to our gods."**

 **"Not that frequently," Mako corrected. "We usually do that on holidays, not every week. Plus, we treat our gods more as genies, rather than as superiors who deserve utmost respect."**

 **"That's another mystery," Miho admitted. "I believe that it is intertwined with us being Senshazons."**

 **The others nodded in agreement.**

"Tank coming!" a distant voice roared, as a Raio sped towards them. The girls backed away, as it rumbled and roared by.

"Huh," Mako said. "Unlike normal tanks, Senshazon tanks have a higher speed, both on road and off-road. Look at that Raio; it can move at speeds of up to 175 km/h, and that's its road speed. Off-road, that same tank can go at 140 km/h, which is actually impressive."

"And a game changer," Miho noted. " **On average, our Senshazon tanks can go 2.5X the speed of normal tanks on-road, but only twice the speed off-road.** "

"I want to make sure," Hana said, trying to calculate with her hands. "The original Raio...what was it again?"

"Osorio," her friends answered.

"The Osorio drove at 70 km/h," Hana then tried to think. "And that is the maximum speed...but for our Raio, it can drive at 175 km/h on-road, but only at 140 km/h off-road. Am I correct?"

"You are spot on," Mako said.

"Thank you," Hana said with a curtsy. "There are some things that are still hard for me."

"You're not alone," Miho said, turning to watch the rest of the ship from a special balcony. " **This is all still surreal.** "

The girls watched, as they walked towards a downtown. Down below, thousands of girls went about, doing their own usual business. Like the other two city-carriers, the people onboard the city-carrier all were of military age, in order to ensure that everyone could survive. Plus, they did not want to risk having their little children get kidnapped. Numerous tanks drove back and forth, much like the buses, trucks, and even civilian vehicles on Human nations. They stopped at lights, then drove on.

Miho watched, but her eyes focused on a specific scene.

"Hmm?" she noted, staring. "Mako-san, do you see something?"

Mako simply stared, but shook her head. Of the five, she had the best eyes.

"Nothing that I see," she admitted.

"Let's go down," Miho said, as she jumped down a balcony with ease.

"Wait for us!" the others yelled, as they all jumped own. However, only Yukari landed with ease, while the others stumbled; Mako literally fell on top of Saori.

"Watch it!" Saori groaned.

"Sorry," Mako said nonchalantly, as they all got up.

"You OK?" Miho asked.

"We're alright," Saori said. "We're all Senshazons, after all."

"Thanks," Miho said. "Let's go."

* * *

They walked around, and saw hundreds of tanks rolling about, much like buses, trucks, and even as personal vehicles.

"It's odd to use tanks as vehicles," Miho noted, as she giggled a little.

"Even I have to agree," Yukari, of all the people, admitted. "I love tanks, but this is a little crazy."

A long line of Xabra tanks stood, waiting in line.

"Aren't the Xabra that good?" Yukari asked. "Why are they waiting in line?"

"I think they're trying to upgrade them," Miho said.

"Wait," Saori said. "I didn't know that."

"Personal upgrades," Mako clarified.

"Oh," Saori noted.

Unlike Human tanks, Senshazon tanks and most AFVs could be bought as private property. In NOR, this basically meant that the girls could upgrade the tanks in any way they could, the result of a referendum. However, this was a recent policy, as the girls were still figuring out which upgrades were even...safe.

BOOM!

Miho giggled, while her friends sighed and facepalmed to various degrees.

"THAT WAS NOT EVEN LEGAL!" a huge voice roared from a warehouse nearby.

"SORRY!" another bellowed.

"Just like the old days," Miho said, trying to contain her giggles. It really reminded her of how when they were Senshadou members, except for her team, all of the teams decorated their tanks in...odd colors and all. In fact, she also realized that she and others also over-decorated their own interiors.

"What did they even add?" Saori groaned. "How many explosions happened there?"

"Based on the explosions," Mako said nonchalantly. "I believe that they tried to add a shower system into a Xabra, but the pressure system blew off."

"A shower?!" Saori screamed. "How is that even practical?! Did they add a water tank or something?!"

"Why do they have to add a shower?" Hana asked innocently. "But that sure sounds like a good idea."

"Is that even necessary?" Yukari groaned. "Man, the longer we live, the crazier our younger generations become!"

Miho giggled, but agreed. Unlike most factions, the Norans valued a lot of freedom and personal expression, which led to a lack of unity in the military dress code, and even in the tanks' appearance. Although all tanks had to conform to a certain "appearance code" (in order to ensure that they all worked as what they were supposed to do), the recent policy of allowing personal upgrades led to...very odd additions.

The girls watched, as a newly upgraded Xabra rumbled out, and the girls gawked.

"That's not a tank!" Yukari roared.

It was still the same Xabra tank. What Yukari was saying...was that the crew literally put on a wedding dress. Somehow, they designed a wedding dress, pure white and frilly, and turned it into something that covered the tank.

"OK," Miho said, giggling. "Maybe we should...amend our policy to make it more...appropriate."

Yukari scratched her hair in agony, as the "poor Super Sabra" (her nickname for the Xabra) was forced to "go girly." Miho giggled, as the Xabra rumbled into a street. A good number of girls gawked at it as well, with some doing a facepalm.

"Why a dress?!" Yukari groaned. "Man! Our girls are going crazy!"

"Aren't we all crazy?" Mako asked.

Suddenly, a few Togra tanks zoomed by.

"Wow!" the girls gasped.

"Former Chihanese girls," Mako groaned. "They still love to speed around. Even when they were assimilated into our nation, most still retained their former attitudes."

Miho nodded. After the Unity Tower fell, all of the foreign visitors, girls who were visiting NOR from other factions, were trapped. While a very few decided to venture out on their own, the rest decided to assimilate into the culture of NOR. They greatly enhanced the NOR's cultural heritage, in interesting ways. Chihanese were the girls of a Japan-ish faction based on the Chi-Ha-Tan Academy. Like them, they were big on honor and Japanese ideals. In NOR, they maintained Japanese customs, such as wearing kimonos, which appealed to the Virago, who were still Japanese at heart.

"Watch where you're going!" a few girls screamed from behind. They also drove the Togra, but more carefully and more deliberately.

"And former Pravdan girls," Miho noted.

Unlike the Chihanese, the Pravdans were girls from a Russian-esque faction based on the Pravda Girls High School. After suddenly losing connection with their faction, they suddenly found themselves...feeling odd. Being so used to being ruled by their leaders, they were reluctant to set base in NOR. However, after Miho and her friends gently invited them in, they decided to settle down. They made for very good farmers, and Mko frequently got them to make her sweets.

"Sorry about them," one of the former Pravdan girls groaned, as she and her friends drove their tanks. "Our Chihanese girls seem to have a hard time controlling themselves!"

"Just drive carefully," Miho said. "Please tell them."

"Understood!" the former Pravdan girls said, saluting in a Russian-esque fashion. Miho giggled, as they rumbled away.

"More tanks," Mako noted, as they continued to walk through the downtown.

A number of Merkava Mk.5 Lev Ruach tanks drove by, pulling carts and trailers. While some were carrying cargo containers, others pulled wagons full of girls.

"I cannot believe that we're using tanks," Saori said. "Both as trucks and as buses!"

Suddenly, a group of Reapard tanks drove by, in steady fashion. Miho recognized the way they were moving.

"Former San Glorian and Kuroman girls," Hana noted. "Still as elegant and serious as usual."

"Respectively," Mako added.

San Glorians were the girls from the UK-based faction, founded by members of the St. Gloriana Girls College. Like them, the Kuromans were girls from the Germany-based faction, founded by members of the Kuromorimine Girls Academy. Miho looked at the Kuroman girls, deep in thought, while the San Glorians drank from their teacups casually.

"How crazy can we get?" Yukari asked, then suddenly the Reapard group stopped. The lights turned green for another road, and a very large group of Oklo tanks thundered by, as if they were angry bulls in the running of the bulls.

"Former Saunderians!" Yukari squealed, her face changing from agony to delight.

Miho chuckled. Saunderians were the demonym of the former members of the Saunders University High School. Like the originals, they were enthusiastic, open, and quite rich. When they got stuck after the loss of the Unity Tower, some were penniless (since their accounts were in their faction), while others brought in loads and loads of cash. Soon, however, the former Saunderians became very avid farmers, engineers, and even innovators, becoming one of the biggest contributors to the advancement of technologies in NOR.

"Good thing we have them," Mako admitted. "They sure make for good maids."

"Mako!" Saori groaned. "Did you 'bribe' them again?"

"Nope," she replied with a sly grin. "I just asked, and asked, since they just love to give out great services."

"Don't rip them off," Miho said, giggling. More tanks drove by, with some of them being Oplot-X and Hashashin. Unlike most other tanks, these two were driven by former Pravdan girls, because they were close to the tanks that they were used to.

"Former Pravdan girls again," Mako said. "Zon, I love their zefir and Russian sweets."

However, Tarpan, Temper, and Kitten light tanks easily drove around. They dominated the streets, as they were smaller and easier to maneuver. Some of them had American flags flying on top of the turrets, while others had pizza delivery signs stamped to them. Some even had tea signs!

"Driven by some fast members," Miho said, giggling. "Some San Glorians, Anzians, and others adept at fast movement. Ehehe, they sure are young at heart."

"I don't see any Golem, Aryeh, or Merkava Gibor Ruach," Saori noted.

"That's because they are too big and dangerous to drive," said Yukari. "Mostly too big. But I don't see any Keto."

"Keto here!" someone yelled, as a single tank rumbled by.

"Careful!" the girls warned, as the tank almost collided with another. The larger Merkava honked its horn, as the commander got out to silently frown at the Keto. The commander of the smaller tank got out and apologized with a bow, and the other nodded.

"Zon," Saori groaned. "Sometimes, we are the parents, and they are the kids. Right, Miporin?"

Miho stood still, watching intently at something in the distance.

"Miporin?" Saori asked.

Suddenly, she ran.

"Miporin?!"

The others followed her, wondering what was going on.

"Where are you going?" Saori asked.

"Come!" she replied. "We have something to deal with.

"W-wait for us!" they followed.

* * *

"You crashed into me!"

"No, you did!"

"Wait! What just happened?!"

An incident like this was very rare, but when it did, it was serious business. Senshazon tanks were designed with safety measures, in order to prevent tanks from accidentally slamming into objects and others, especially people. Even though they were stronger and better than normal Humans, even the strongest of Senshazons still had to avoid getting squashed by the colossal weight of an average tank.

In this case, it was a collision between a Xabra main battle tank and a Hashashin main battle tank. This was not just rare; it was bad news.

"How dare you damage one of the few tanks of this kind!" a tall, bespectacled girl roared, coming out of her turret and seething. Red in the face, the contrast between her robust physique and her cute face made her anger stand out all the more. Her short, brown hair waved back and forth, as she shook with rage.

"Wait!" another girl, who was also remarkably as tall as the girl in the Hashashin, but slimmer and with long, blond hair, came out and spoke.

"I-I don't know what exactly happened!" the girl in the Xabra spoke. "But-but the Xabra seemed to have buckled or something!"

"That was clearly intended!" the girl in the Hashashin screamed. "I saw it! You stopped, then suddenly crashed your giant tank into my tank!"

"What's going on?" Miho spoke politely and softly, and everybody fell silent. She was not angry, just concerned and worried.

"Ahem!" the two girls cleared their throats, coming down to bow down at her. "Nishizumi-sensei! Please forgive us for distracting you!"

"No, don't worry," Miho said, as her team caught up to her. "But what just happened? Mako-san and Yukari-san, please talk to Sasha. Saori-san and Hana-san, please talk to Eliana."

Miho then checked both tanks, while her teammates talked to the commanders. Sasha, the girl with the short, brown hair, told her side of the story. A good distance away, in order to prevent overhearing, Eliana spoke to her superiors. She was the long-haired blond girl.

Miho carefully inspected the tanks, while a crowd gathered nearby. Some of them were taking pictures or recording with their smartphones and various electronics. A few were even recording with old-fashioned camcorders.

"Something's off," she mumbled, as she surveyed the damages. "Hmm..."

"Something wrong?" a very young Senshazon approached, only to be pulled away by a taller girl.

"Shush!" the mature one admonished her. "Respect them, please!"

Whenever a Virago girl was present, everybody was expected to behave. Even though they already behaved, the girls had certain standards whenever a Virago was around.

"OK," her teammates returned to Miho, who was deep in thought. "Miho-sa..."

The four girls waited, as Miho collected her thoughts.

"OK," she said, looking at her friends. "What's up?"

Saori and Hana explained what Sasha told them. According to her, Sasha was driving her Hashashin, which was a rare sight, with only about 20 of them onboard the entire fleet (normally, each city-carrier shared a certain number, but Hashashins were very rare, so that only a single carrier carried them all). However, she saw the Xabra stop, and she commanded her driver to keep driving, since the light was green for her side. Suddenly, the Xabra slammed into her.

"That's from Sasha's viewpoint," Miho said. "And what about Eliana's?"

According to Eliana, she was taking her Xabra to be upgraded, so that her team could make it a little more mobile. In fact, the street that she was driving on happened to have a long line of Xabra tanks. The line of Xabra tanks was in front of a special warehouse, where the teams were getting their tanks upgraded. Although the Xabra was one of the few models that fought off the invaders, the girls were not very pleased with the quality of the guns. Indeed, the Xabra was an upgrade of an older tank model, so that it had certain features that were a little out-of-date. So, when the accident happened, the line behind got stuck.

However, Eliana stopped, and her tank somehow kept going, despite the driver's efforts. Hence, the Xabra slammed into the Hashashin on the left side. Although both were main battle tanks, the Xabra had a weight of about 63 t, while the Hashashin was of 48 t. Hence, when the Xabra slammed into the other, its heavier weight crushed parts of the Hashashin's left track with ease. There was a good reason why the Norans kept their Xabra; while it was not very powerful, it had very strong armor, which helped to block off strong attacks. Unfortunately, this also meant that the Xabra was good at crushing certain obstacles, including the armor of a tank.

"Hmm," Miho thought, reminiscing. However, her eyes noticed something:

Sasha was marching back and forth, clearly frustrated. Her hands were flying around, as she was fuming about. Her teammates were also stressed out, as they were sitting around, hands in their faces. Only one of them, the driver, actively checked the tank, in order to find out what happened. However, even she was frustrated, as she was throwing a fit.

"I did drive!" she yelled out loud. "But I swore that I saw the Xabra stop..."

Miho overheard that; unknown to most Norans, Miho's butterfly-wing headphones, which she wore along with her winged tiara (they really were together as a single piece), could easily hear the sounds of other girls. Normally, Miho kept it off, but whenever a situation like this occurred, the headphone activated instantly.

She then looked at the Hashashin's crew. Eliana was standing there, serene and with a blank face. Her crew also stood, trying to stay calm. However, the driver of her tank was different; she was fidgeting very visibly.

Then, she raised her arms, putting her hands behind her hand, and made a few deep breaths. Miho raised an eyebrow.

"Alright!" Sasha yelled, trying to contain her anger. "Sorry, my Virago, but this was a tank that we just fixed yesterday. We were trying to get in and we've in trouble already before, and I did not want to pay another fine again and again, I-"

"Wow-wow," Miho said, hands off to calm her down. "Sasha-san, you are actually free to go."

"Eh?"

"You are free to go," Miho said, as a few Merkava tanks rumbled into view. **Unlike normal tanks, Senshazon tanks doubled as engineering and recovery vehicles. Hence, each tank that was still functional could work to repair and carry damaged tanks.** One of them opened up, and a crane appeared to mend parts of the Hashashin, so that it was easier to drag it away. The other two then dealt with the much heavier Xabra.

"W-why?" Sasha asked, blinking. "We-we're in an accident, you know, Nishizumi-sensei?"

"I know who did it," Miho said, then she huddled up with her team. After a few gasps and murmurs, the team then looked at the damages, inspecting both tanks. This time, Mako stared at Eliana's group, causing some of them to fidget.

"I see," Hana said darkly.

"This..." Saori growled.

"That's crazy!" Yukari said, aghast.

"I suspected as well," Mako said.

Miho frowned, then turned towards Eliana.

"Hello," Eliana began with a curtsy. "So, what is-"

"You are under arrest," Miho replied calmly, as a few Tarpan tanks in police colors rumbled into view.

"What?" Eliana blinked.

"You are under arrest," Miho said, as the officers came out, followed by Sodoko, who jumped out of one of the Tarpan tanks. "Sodoko-san, I need to file a report."

"What just happened here?" Sodoko asked, glaring at the Hashashin, but glancing up at the Xabra, only to frown. "Hey, that damage looks funny."

"It is," Miho said. "Because Eliana deliberately plowed into Sasha's tank, and more."

* * *

"A rare thing," Saori said, as the police officers dragged her away.

"It is very rare for a crime to exist," Miho remarked. "However, the few that happen usually happen when the girls have a grudge. I can already tell that Eliana held something. Normally, our girls are good at reconciling, but in this case, it festered."

"And Eliana forced her driver to ram," Saori said. "But why so sudden?"

"Guess she just snapped," Mako said. "I mean...she deliberately twisted the systems, both of her tank and Sasha's. When you showed us, it made sense."

"I cannot believe it!" Yukari admitted. "She was smart enough to slightly sabotage the Hashashin's systems, so that it kept going, instead of stopping, and then she sabotaged her own tank, so that it appeared to ram the other by accident!"

"She hoped that we're not there," Miho said. "But they cannot hide from us Virago, since we can easily understand the systems."

"But why would she suddenly go that far?" Saori asked. "Eliana is normally not the type to lose it."

"She did not attend church," somebody spoke.

They turned around. It was the driver of Eliana's tank.

"Huh?" the girls asked.

"Sorry," the driver said, clearing her throat. "I am Dana Pines, and she...forced me to drive it, because she had a grudge against Sasha. A few weeks ago, Sasha and Eliana both got into an argument."

"What was the argument about?" Miho asked.

"Over some useless stuff," Dana admitted with a sigh. "Girls' stuff and all. Apparently, my commander had repressed desires; even at our local church meetings, she refused to tell them outright. I tried to talk sense into her, but she refused to listen."

"And let the feelings fester," Saori whispered.

"That simple?" Mako asked. "It couldn't be that simple."

"Sometimes," Miho said. "Problems can that simple, so simple that it's hard to believe it. That makes sense; I heard from Eliana's crew that they were worried about their leader, because she did not come to her church for three weeks."

"For us," Mako said. "It's not a problem, but for many Norans, skipping church is often a sign of something off."

"We should have notified you," Dana admitted, lowering her head. "I am sorry."

"Don't worry," Miho said, raising Dana's head with her right hand. "You are forgiven. Just make sure to tell your local church next time."

"Th-thank you!" Dana cried, hugging her before running off.

"They sure like you," Sodoko groaned, coming over. "I mean, I am Virago, but why do they find it so easy to obey you?"

"Like I said," Mako said, almost mockingly. "She listens to the girls, while you try and impose your will on others."

Miho blinked.

 ** _Impose will on others_ , Miho thought, as Sodoko and Mako went into their usual "argument." _Impose will on others...that's why Eliana did. I guess she was a little too...controlling. Isn't that what we Virago do?_**

She thought and thought.

"Miporin?"

"Ah!" Miho said, snapping out of her thoughts. "Sorry, where are we again?"

"Nishizumi-san," Sodoko said, handing her a notebook. It had hard covers, but had a few buttons. Miho clicked one, and a picture appeared. Although the notebook had real paper between the hard covers, the covers themselves were electronic, still in prototype stage.

"They want you to check our SPGs," Sodoko replied.

"Oh boy!" Yukari squealed.

* * *

"Just hold yourself," Miho said, as Yukari was shaking with excitement. They moved to the far edge of the ship, and inspected their naval guns...

...except they exactly were not.

"Look!" Yukari squealed. "Our own artillery units-no, our Self-Propelled Guns!"

"Known as SPGs," Miho said, smiling. "And both terms are accurate."

Instead of naval turrets, the city-carrier utilized artillery units. Some of them were the Artillery Gun Module turrets, or AGM turrets for short, which doubled as turrets for both vehicles and as naval guns.

"An odd thing," Miho admitted, as the girls watched them pass by. "They sure look like naval guns."

The AGM turrets were of German origin, but the Senshazon version was upgraded, especially by wielding a 210-mm gun. In fact, while some were standalone turrets, two vehicles passed by, the only types to carry the AGM turrets: the Donar NOR and the Boxer RCH 210 NOR.

"Donar NOR!" Yukari squealed with delight. "I like those, because they look like tanks!"

"More like a boxed truck with tracks and a giant turret on the back," Saori remarked, causing Yukari to deflate.

"I said they look like tanks," Yukari groaned. "They are obviously not tanks."

"The Boxer one is obviously not," Mako interjected. "It is more like a car with eight wheels and a giant turret on top."

* * *

 **Donar/Thunor NOR**

Officially under both names, the Donar or Thunor NOR was based on the Donar SPG of Germany/USA. It was actually a gift from Freistaat Kuromorimine, the homeland of the former members of the Kuromorimine Girls' Academy, also known as the Black Forest Peak Girls' Academy. The Norans then modified it to suit their own needs, becoming the Donar that it was now. Like the old Donar, the new Donar was basically an Artillery Gun Module (albeit Senshazonized) turret on top of a specially modified tracked chassis (the original used a modified chassis of ASCOD 2, a Spanish IFV). It is one of only two SPGs that held the AGM turrets.

 **Boxer RCH 210 NOR**

Simply known to most as Boxer SPG, the Boxer Remotely Controlled Howitzer 210 NOR was a Noran version of the Boxer RCH 155 of Germany. Like the original SPG, the Boxer SPG was basically an AGM turret mounted on top of a specially modified Boxer chassis. The original Boxer was a specially designed 8X8-wheeled AFV with modular design; thus, it could accommodate a variety of modules for different purposes. This meant that all variants of the Boxer shared similar traits and even a similar type of magic (still not known of what it actually was). However, the Boxer SPG was so modified, that it became a distinct "species" in its own right.

* * *

"Both are quite popular among the girls," Hana said, as at least 50 Donar and Boxer SPGs rumbled or sped by. "I think they like it, because they are so efficient."

"And each one requires a crew of only two," Mako said. "Allowing to have some qua-"

Saori elbowed her, silencing her.

"Sorry," Mako said, almost deflating.

They watched, as the Donar and Boxer SPGs moved into place. Like naval guns, they were stationed at specific parts of the ship, so that they could fire when needed. However, being mobile, they easily moved back and forth. Soon, a truck and a tracked vehicle appeared. The truck, however, had a gun on top of it, while the tracked one looked like a tank, but with a colossal turret.

"Ah," Miho said with a smile. "The ATMOS NOR and the Sholef Gadol."

The team gulped, especially at the latter. When the Sholef Gadol appeared, a few girls noticeably backed away, farther away than they did with tanks.

"I still don't get how a truck-mounted SPG," said Saori. "Can be so effective."

"It's because they are cheaper to make," explained Mako. "And easier to maintain; it is a truck chassis, not the heavier and more complex tracked chassis."

"But that Sholef..." Yukari trailed off. "It's still strong by itself, but with its magical power..."

The girls, including the team, gulped again.

* * *

 **ATMOS NOR**

ATMOS NOR was the Noran version of the ATMOS 2000 of Israel. Like it, it was a SPG, with a gun on top of a 6X6 truck chassis. Like most truck-mounted SPGs, it was cheaper and more mobile than tracked SPGs. They also were much more mobile than towed howitzers. The gun of the ATMOS NOR, however, was Senshazonized, designed explicitly to be able to transition to three modes: 210-mm, 155-mm, and even 265-mm forms! The 210-mm was the default form, firing shells typical for its size. The 155-mm form fired weaker shots, but could fire faster. The 265-mm form fired bigger and stronger shots, in return for a slower fire rate.

The 210-mm form could fire 27 rpm. The 155-mm form could fire 36 rpm, while the 265-mm form could fire at 18 rpm. This gave the ATMOS NOR an incredible amount of flexibility, to a point impossible even by the original ATMOS' standards. However, its magical ability was a game changer; when activated, the ability enchanted the shells, so that upon firing, the shells could split into multiple shells, much like the fireworks (hence the affably nickname "fireworks shells").

 **Sholef Gadol**

The Sholef Gadol was Hebrew for "Great Slammer." It was based on the Sholef ("Slammer") prototype SPG of Israel. It had a colossal 265-mm gun as its main gun, and it also possessed a great amount of heavy and advanced armor. The reason for this, however, was because it possessed a nuclear reactor! This allowed the SPG to function incredibly well, but that feature required extensive protection systems, both to protect the crew from the nuclear danger, and to protect the reactor from damage from the outside. Unlike the Oklo, the reactor was designed solely to power the SPG, making it safe to add in. Thanks to this, the Sholef Gadol could fire at 27 rpm, which is quite fast for a gun of this size. Its magical ability was a major game changer, so much so that some girls even objected that it was overpowered: when activated, the ability enchanted the impacts. When the shells hit the land or targets, the resulting impacts summoned blasts of energy, which rocketed up and then homed into nearby targets (hence the nickname "homing blasts upon impact")! This rendered the Sholef Gadol incredibly feared, so much so that Miho even forbade its use in most training practices!

* * *

"Both are from Israel," Saori said. "But with magic, they are even more fearsome."

"The ATMOS NOR is incredibly flexible," Miho said. "Unlike the original ATMOS 2000 of Israel, our ATMOS NOR can adjust its gun, based on the situations. But its magical power causes the shells to split, appearing as fireworks, which make them even more effective in destroying multiple units."

"And the Sholef?" Mako asked, shaking a little.

"That's a strong one," Miho admitted with a sweat. "Its 265-mm gun is incredibly powerful, but its magical power...just makes it too dangerous. Upon impact, the blast summons a strange ball of energy, which homes in like a living rocket. Sure, it does not attack friendly units, but it was so effective, that most of us are a little scared of it."

"In other words," Hana said. "A little too effective."

The others nodded.

"And those look weird," Mako said, as she noticed a large number of SPGs appear in the street.

* * *

 **Grand Primus**

The Grand Primus was the lightest tracked SPG in Noran arsenal. In fact, at 28 t, it was one of the lightest SPGs ever, thanks to it being based on the SSPH-1 Primus of Singapore. Perhaps due to its light weight, the SPG appeared to have an over-sized turret; it technically was not, but the chassis was quite small for its size. Like all SPGs, it could technically charge into combat like shock cavalry. However, normally this was not recommended, as being a good shock cavalry unit required the ability to ram into targets easily and quickly, and then moving out. Its magical ability was also odd: it was super charge, allowing the SPG to double its protection potential, double its speed, and even cause explosions upon impact! This essentially rendered the Grand Primus an effective shock cavalry unit.

* * *

"It looks like somebody shoved in a giant 210-mm gun turret," Mako said. "On top of a tank chassis too small for it, but somehow it fit."

"We adopted it," Miho said, as they watched the "parade" rumble by. "Only because of its magical ability. We still don't know why that some of our AFVs have actual proven abilities, while others don't."

"Like the Donar and Boxer ones," Yukari said, deflating. "I KNOW that they have something special, because they work so well!"

 **"All of our AFVs," Miho said. "Have something magical about them, but because magic works from a different set of rules, it is hard for our science-oriented minds to comprehend. It's only because we're more accepting of magic, that we're starting to understand our own brand of magic."**

The girls then checked the AGM turrets, then walked away.

"We have the following so far," Miho said. "We have the Donar NOR, the Boxer RCH 210 NOR, the ATMOS NOR, the Sholef Gadol, and the Grand Primus. We have three more...but I remember that we have them all, because they have something to contribute."

"What was the last three SPGs we have?" asked Yukari. As if granting a wish, they appeared.

* * *

 **GX Rhino**

Known simply as Rhino, the GX Rhino was based on the various SPG models of South Africa, especially the G6-52, the G6-52L, and the G6 Rhino. Like them, the Rhino was a 6X6 wheeled SPG with an incredible amount of armor for its type. However, unlike them, it wielded not one, but two 210-mm guns on its turret, one on top of the other! Hence, it was also nicknamed the "Double-horned Rhino." Although not supposed to be used to charge, like most SPGs, it worked remarkably well as a literal rhino. However, it was greatly feared for its firepower alone, for the original model, the G6 Rhino, was a proven weapon of war. It fired 24 rpm, but its magical ability made them even more potent. Like the Sholef Gadol, the impacts summoned attacks! Unlike the Sholef Gadol, however, the Rhino's impacts summoned trails of energy, which varied in numbers, from one to as many as five! Hence, while the trails of energy could not attack air units, they could hit more units on land!

 **Alpha Fury**

This was one of the most feared weapons, even for Senshazons. It was based on the G-52L of South Africa and the Al-Fao of Iraq. It resembled a colossal version of the Rhino; indeed, the two were related. Unlike the Rhino, the Alpha Fury was bigger, wielding a 320-mm gun on an 8X8 chassis! It fired only 10 rounds per minute, but each shell was a monster. Even crazier, its magical ability could temporarily boost accuracy, making the SPG even more effective!

 **Rammer**

The Rammer was a Noran invention, and one of the least likely to even be used. However, it proved to be a battle-worthy model, and soon became a favorite. It was inspired by the Ro'em/L-33, an improvised SPG, in which a towed gun was mounted on top of a large, enclosed turret, which was atop the chassis of an M4 Sherman tank. However, the Rammer was a brand-new design, with a new type of 210-mm gun atop a specially modified tracked chassis.

The Rammer was the most effective of its kind: a literal battering ram. Its gun was shorter than most SPGs, but in return was very wide and heavy, in order to function effectively as a ram. It had an incredible amount of armor, in order to make it effective at ramming and attacking at close range. The Rammer was the only SPG without a turret, in return for having great armor. It could drive at speeds of 184 km/h, and could fire 20 rounds per minute even while on the move! With super protection as its magical ability, which boosted its armor, the Rammer was next to impossible to even stop. Once it reached a wall, it proved to be the wall's own death. In the past, the Norans used it to effectively destroy walls of hostile orcs and goblins.

* * *

"The GX Rhino!" Yukari shouted with glee. "The Alpha Fury! The Rammer! Oh boy-oh boy-oh boy!"

"Please calm down," Miho said. "They are also very useful. We frequently used the GX Rhino, because it was very mobile and easily killed off the orcs, and other enemies in the past. The Alpha Fury was primarily a long-range bombard cannon, as its huge cannon was very powerful. And the Rammer...it's unorthodox, but a very effective model. I am surprised that we still have it."

"Just in case!" Yukari said, as the three SPGs rumbled by.

The girls walked on, and saw more weapons. They saw a number of girls inspecting sets of towed howitzers, while others were checking what looked like wheeled tanks. Known as fire support vehicles, they were designed to have the firepower of tanks, but traded armor for mobility on 8X8 chassis. Nearby, they sighted their own rocket artillery units, especially the Menatetz "Smasher."

"The Smasher," Miho said. "That's our main rocket artillery unit; it fires M270 rockets and more. Our friends-San Glorians, Saunderians, Anzians, and Kuromans-use their own versions of it."

"But why do we have so many?" Mako asked. We have over 50 types of vehicles, from tanks to our troop carriers, more than any other faction. But we struggle with focusing on which ones to use? Why can't we simplify?"

"Because each one proved to be too useful," Miho said. "For example, remember the Oplot-X? We considered retiring that one, but its flattening power allowed it to avoid many shells. Even as our Sholef Gadol and bigger vehicles and tanks got hit hard, most of the Oplot-X easily avoided them by flattening."

"That's why we keep almost all of our models," Yukari said. "Maybe we're a little too crazy, like the goblins."

The girls giggled, then laughed together. Even Mako snickered.

"Well," Miho began. "We better get ready to check them aga-"

"LAND AHOY!" the PA system blared.

The girls looked up, then darted to the command tower. After a few minutes, the Anglerfish Team entered the bridge, and the captain soon saw them and saluted.

"Nishizumi-sensei!" the captain said, her hat shiny. "We have discovered a new coast!"

"Finally!" Saori said. "Hopefully we can find our friends again!"

They looked up. One of the floating screens revealed a zoomed image of something that looked like a coast with trees lining it.

"I honestly don't think so," the captain said, sounding a little nervous.

"Eh?" the others asked.

"We're not in Senshazonia anymore," she replied.

* * *

 **Alright, I hope this chapter has introduced my Self-Propelled Guns, or SPGs, more naturally than the previous chapter. Since at least two of my reviewers remarked that the chapter appeared like a "tank catalog," so I learned from that to try and introduce my SPGs more naturally.**

 **Plus, I rushed over other vehicles; I originally wanted to talk about my own rocket artilleries, but I think that they were not very important, so I rushed them over.**

 **Title is a reference to a famous book; I will tell the answer in the next chapter.**

 **Reviews are appreciated, so yes...I am a fan of cliffhangers.**

 **XD**

 **Panzer vor!**


	8. Chapter 8: New Land

**Greetings from SeekerMeeker.**

 **Yes, I think that's one of my specialties now: cliffhangers.**

 **But like spice, I should be careful with the use, as too many can ruin a good story.**

* * *

 **Plus, I guess I suffered from a serious case of writer's block, so I apologize if this chapter is not of the best quality.**

 **I hope to pick up soon-ish, so thank you!**

 **And by the way, the last chapter's title is a reference to "Guns, Germs, and Steel" by Jared Diamond.**

* * *

 **Girls und Krieg**

 **Chapter 8: New Land**

"How did we end up here?!"

A good number of girls gasped in shock; even the captain scratched her head, confused.

"And no storms either?" Mako asked, a little more surprised than usual.

"Now that I think about it," Hana remarked. "It was unusually calm."

The girls were chatting a lot, as the entire bridge was slightly frantic. Although the ships were supposed to stay within the coast's range, somehow the girls ended up way, WAY off course.

"Anything odd in the radar?" Miho asked calmly.

"Nothing," the captain replied. "Other than a very good undercurrent. We took it, in order to speed our travel, and...it suddenly turned."

"Why couldn't you just leave it?" Saori asked.

"It's too dangerous," the captain replied. "The undercurrent could possibly rip the bottom apart; our scans show that the undercurrent will not harm our three ships, as long as we just go with it. And then...it suddenly vanished."

The entire bridge was silent.

"Then," Saori mumbled. "That means..."

Miho then looked out. The coast was now clearly visible, and she could see trees and bushes lining it.

"We're in a new world," she said.

* * *

The three city-carriers soon were a few miles away from the coast. Thousands of girls flocked to the left sides of the carriers, as they all watched and gasped.

"Look!" some cried. "This is definitely NOT Senshazonia!"

"What are those trees?" others asked.

"They vaguely look like some from our lands," yet others remarked.

The captain, her crew, and the Anglerfish Team stayed in the bridge, watching from their tower. The sun stood silent, radiating the new coast with its noonday shine.

"Sensei," the captain said.

Miho hiccuped, then cleared her throat.

"You-you don't have to call me that," Miho said. "But yes, what's the report on the land?"

"According to our radar," the captain said. "There are plenty of animals, but this area has a rather dry and hot environment. In fact, it closely resembles the environment that the Anzians are used to."

Senshazons had a rather weird level of technology. Perhaps due to a lack of access to top technology in the past, they lacked space travel and satellites. In return, they dramatically improved their drones and towers, which allowed them long-distance communication despite a lack of satellites. One of them was the radar used by the captain, which was so advanced that it could detect even babies being born from miles away! It also could detect the environment, down to even minute levels of pollution or changes in the air.

"A Mediterranean climate!" Saori remarked. "Anchovy told me once about it all! It's the perfect environment for some of the most important crops, such as grapes and olives."

"But we're detecting more," the captain said. "We find what looks like a grassland as well, so we're in an...odd place."

"Any sign of life?" Miho asked.

"Plenty," the captain replied. "An abundance of wildlife, on par with our own."

"No-no," Miho said, blushing. "I mean, any sign of human life or someone?"

"Ah," the captain said. "Sorry, but no one so far."

"Then!" Yukari cried with glee. "Why not land ashore!"

"Hold on," the captain said. "Although the coast looks very favorable, there are plenty of rocky outcroppings, most of them invisible. Hmm, we need some light landing crafts."

"How about amphibious APCs?" Yukari suggested.

"And some of our heavier transport ships," Miho said. "In order to carry out an expedition. Captain, call over the PA. Commence Operation Exploration."

Everybody else answered in union, and chatting increased exponentially. They were ready to land.

Miho smiled.

"Let's get ready," Miho said to her team. "I am curious too. But first, a meeting."

* * *

 **10 minutes later...**

"Alright girls," Miho said.

All five teams were in a meeting place. Outside, their members were working furiously, getting their equipment ready. Thousands of girls almost stampeded about, while some drove a wide variety of tanks and military vehicles.

"We can tell that we have moved way, WAY up this way," Miho said, pointing at a map. It showed the largest extent of New Ooarai Republic, which measured to be about the size of France (which might not be accurate), and Miho's finger was at the northeastern part of the seas.

"I think we need to update our map," Erwin said, and the others agreed. "We have expanded our territories, and we have found a new land."

"Based on what we know," Yuzu said, bringing in a number of large books. "It appears that we are at the tip of some continent."

"And it looks like South Africa," Hana noted.

"Oh!" Saori and a few of the girls reacted, surprised at her. "How did you know about that?"

"Darjeeling-sama said once," she answered. "That the British Empire occupied southern parts of Africa. This makes sense, since South Africa has both a temperate climate and a Mediterranean climate."

"Then that means," Miho said. "That we should be ready for any native on it."

The others nodded.

"I think that's good enough," Miho said. "Let's go and hurry."

* * *

 **5 minutes later...**

"Alright," Miho said through a microphone. "Are we ready?"

She and her team stood on top of a stage, speaking to a colossal audience. Thousands of girls gathered, standing ready. Hundreds of vehicles of all kinds, ranging from giant tanks to vehicles that looked vaguely like Humvees, dotted the audience.

"Zon!" Saori groaned. "Can you girls please calm down?!"

The girls giggled, and a few even revved up the engines.

"Please settle down," Miho said, and the crowd quieted down to listen.

"Now I can understand how Sodoko feel," Saori whispered.

"It's for safety reasons," Miho said, as the crowd mumbled. "But please: have fun, but be careful. But because we have not seen anyone on land, we still have to be careful. I am not taking risks; unnecessary loss of lives is not worth it. So, we will-oh?"

One of the bridge's workers appeared, panting. She then gave something to Aya, who stood near the stage. Looking at it, she gasped and nodded, then passed it unto her friends, who then passed all the way to Miho.

"What's this?" she wondered, opening the paper. "And...oh."

The crowd was silent, anticipating something.

"OK," she responded to the audience. "It turns out that our radar detected a large island to the south of the coast. So, I guess a change of plan: some of us will land on the coast, while others will investigate the island. If the island is uninhabited, you know what to do."

The crowd cheered, and proceeded to divide themselves.

"Careful!" Saori called, as the crowd stampeded about. Thousands of girls, in various outfits ("Will they dress up more formally?!" Noriko groaned, almost sounding like Sodoko), scampered about. Although many of the Senshazons onboard were mature, they harbored a childlike interest and a sense of awe, especially for the new things. Of course, they had not traveled outside for decades, so the expedition was a rare moment to shine.

"Start low and steady," Miho said, and the crowd slowed down.

"Zon," Hana said. "They sure listen to you well."

"I honestly did not expect that," she replied. "And Hana-san, you are the President."

Hana shrugged.

"I will do my part," she replied. "But you are the actual leader in charge."

"Virago!" a number of girls roared. "Please come with us!"

"Well," Miho admitted, smiling awkwardly. "At least we know how to behave."

"Ugh," Momo suddenly grunted. Mako looked at her, and smirked.

"Momma-chan," Mako sarcastically called, causing her to throw a fit.

"She's not calling at you," Yuzu said, trying to calm her down.

"She was!" Momo roared, as a few girls in the background secretly took out their phones to take pictures.

"And stop making me feel bad!" Momo yelled at the girls, most of whom stayed put and giggled.

"Feel baaaaaddd," Mako playfully called, causing her to throw another fit.

"Let's just get to the shore," Miho said, giggling. "We'll check it out."

"What about vehicles?" Yukari asked.

"We'll check them," Miho said, giggling. "Let's just organize."

* * *

 **A few...minutes later...**

"And these are the vehicles we'll use?" Saori chimed in.

The Norans divided themselves into three groups. One group stayed onboard the ships, for obvious reasons; the Rabbit Team decided to watch the ships. The other group prepared their smaller ships and aircraft to investigate the island; the Hippo Team and the Turtle Team decided to lead the expedition. The last group readied to land ashore, led by the Duck Team and the Anglerfish Team.

"Line up!" Noriko roared, as the girls started to try and swarm into the ships. "Please, behave yourself!"

"Girls!" Miho called out. "Please, stay in your positions and carefully line up!"

The girls eventually heard them and obeyed.

"Funny thing," Mako said, as she and her friends started to load unto the smaller ships, which hanged from the decks. "That Sodoko is bothered by girls not listening to her, while Noriko is unaffected."

"I guess Sodoko made that mistake," Hana said, as she and her friends stood in the front deck. "Of throwing a fit a little too much. Most of the girls found it funny since."

"Except for police work," Yukari added, as the ships started to creak. The chains then loosened gradually, as they let down the ships. Three ships fell into the rough waters, and the ships blared their horns and signals.

Miho looked on, and sighed.

"Sure feels like the old days," Saori remarked. "Right?"

Miho nodded.

"Let's check our arsenal!" Yukari yelled, her voice echoing from a distance.

"I guess she's enthusiastic," Saori groaned, but smiled to cheer Miho up.

She smiled.

"Let's go and check what we have," Miho said.

* * *

The Virago girls entered the bridge, and they checked the interface. Miho blinked.

"Where is the other ship?" she asked the captain of the smaller ship. "We requested for five."

"The other is coming," the captain said. "Look!"

Miho nodded, as the last ship frantically revved its engine, trying to catch up to the other four ships, aiming for the coast.

"It sure looks like Mako," Saori noted.

"Hold my beer," Mako said; Miho pondered whether she got the point or not.

Miho then continued to analyze the interface, and saw what vehicles they had in the five ships:

Various vehicles stayed within the multiple chambers of the hulls. The list showed three tanks:

Merkava Mk.5 Lev Ruach: 20

K3 Zainichi: 30

K21-XEN5 Kitten: 100

"Why those again?" Hana asked, as she analyzed from her own interface. "I understand the Zainichi, which is advanced and very good, and the Kittens, since they are light and fast, but why are we bringing in the Merkava?"

"The Merkava are very hard to kill," Yukari explained. "We'll use them to form temporary walls and mobile shields. They also can house some soldiers, so we'll use that to our advantage."

"I don't exactly understand how and why that is important," Hana said.

"You don't?!" Yukari gasped, groaning.

"I am still used to tanks as tanks," Hana remarked. "The idea of a tank that doubles as a troop carrier...sounds odd to me."

"If I remember correctly," Mako interjected. "Our Merkava is the only main battle tank with that kind of feature. I heard that a few light tanks have the feature."

"I don't know," Yukari admitted. "We no longer have Internet access, or more specifically, the normal kind. We had to create our own Internet. Speaking of that, it's amazing how quickly and how advanced it has become."

"But without the Unity Tower," Miho said. "We had to adapt again."

 **"Zon!" Saori groaned. "Life is full of ups and downs, isn't it? We keep changing, then changing, and changing!"**

"From being a nobody school," Mako said. "To a famous school. And from Human girls to Senshazons."

The others, especially the Virago and the original girls who immigrated into Alterra, nodded in agreement. Even after centuries of living in Alterra, the girls were still girls; they still clung to their old memories.

"I wonder," Saori said. "How our parents and families are doing..."

That caused the whole mood to change.

"L-let's focus on the positive!" a young girl spoke. Like most girls, she had never known what "Earth" was, but she knew that the Virago, whom she looked up to, knew it well. She and others wanted their leaders to feel at home.

"We have a new land!" she said. "Plus, we have new reports about it!"

"Huh?" Miho asked, successfully distracted. "Yuna, what do you mean?"

Yuna gave her an earphone, and Miho listened in.

"Nishizumi-sensei?" a voice blared.

"Ana-san?"

Ana was a captain in another ship. She was one of the first Senshazons born in Alterra. Hence, she was one of the first to learn from the Virago about the Earth and their past lives.

"What's going on?" Miho asked.

"We appear to have acquired a few signals," she called in. "Our special biosignature detection system is on high alert. It appears that there is a strange signal, implying that some Human or sentient being is present."

"We better find them," Miho said. "Girls!"

She announced into the PA system of the five ships.

"We focus on finding that signal," Miho said. "All except my team, two Merkava, two Zainichi, and four Kitten, please follow us!"

"Hai!" the girls declared; they already were instructed on who were going to follow Miho.

"And what about other vehicles?" a voice rang out.

"What do we have?" Miho asked, although she had an idea.

She pressed a button on the interface, and more showed:

Boxer RCH 210 NOR: 25

GX Rhino: 25

Miho felt a sweat, giggling nervously.

"Girls," Miho said. "Please bring in tracked SPGs as well next time. Wheeled SPGs are easier to fix and are faster, but tracked ones are better for terrain."

"Hai!" the voices cheered again.

"Hmm," Miho said, analyzing the five ships' arsenal. "Interesting..."

The interface showed that they did not bring in any fire support vehicles. Saori affably called them "wheeled tanks," although Yukari objected to the term. In a way, both were right. Fire support vehicles technically were not tanks, because they often lacked heavy armor; they were designed to be fast and mobile, with wheels instead of tracks. However, they often had guns strong enough to kill other tanks. The girls also did not bring in any rocket artillery units. What got her attention was what non-tank and non-artillery vehicles they brought.

She giggled nervously.

"Didn't we bring in a little too many?" Miho asked. "Yes, it's good that we have amphibious troop carriers. I commend you all for bringing in the Bronco Corsair and the King Scorpion. It's good to bring in the K-21 NOR, since it is quite cheap and very good. However, why are we bringing in the Namer Onager?"

"Because it's fun!" was the overwhelming response.

"And can't we use a hovercraft?" a random voice spoke.

"Not this time!" a few Virago girls groaned. Miho giggled nervously.

"We can use it for a different time," Miho said, as she analyzed the ships' arsenal more closely:

Like actual armies, the Norans had their own arsenal of troop carriers. However, unlike Human ones, Senshazon carriers were far stronger and superior, down to even having magical powers! Like tanks and artilleries, some of them had confirmed powers, while others were still mysterious. The **Namer Onager** was based on the Namer, a heavy APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) of Israel, famous for its tank-level protection. The Onager, however, is even more armored, was now an IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle, so that it had a stronger weapons system), and its magical power is the reason for its name.

"Why do we have this one onboard?" Miho asked again.

"It can catapult us from within!" many girls replied.

"Yes," Miho said. "That's a very useful ability, allowing us to transport troops directly into combat. But we don't need to bring that in."

"Boo," a few groaned. "But we want to jump from the Namer."

"Alright," Miho said. "But only when I say so, which I will tell you all."

"OK!" the girls cheered.

"Zon," Saori said. "Our girls are so obedient, more than most Humans."

"Are you going xenophobic?" Mako asked sarcastically.

"What are those again?" Hana asked.

"Huh?" some of her friends asked.

"Our troop carriers," she replied.

Yukari groaned, but decided to explain to Hana, as Miho focused on the coast. The **Bronco Corsair** was an **armored all-terrain tracked carrier** , resembling a mini-train with tracks. Based on the Bronco New-Gen and the Bronco of Singapore, it was considered to be the best of its class.

"We use that as a mobile train to carry goods and peoples," Yukari said.

The **King Scorpion** was an APC. Like the Bronco Corsair, it was amphibious. In fact, while they were talking, Miho gave the signal to allow the amphibious vehicles to land.

"See them?" Yukari pointed.

Bronco Corsair carriers and King Scorpion APCs all came out of the ships' hulls. At first, they crashed and momentarily sank into the waves, then soon got out like submarines, and rolled towards the coasts. The King Scorpion, however, was based on the K806 and K808 of South Korea. Its unique power was the ability to shift between a 6X6 form and a 8X8 form, which gave the APC a good level of adaptability.

"So the K-21 NOR is not amphibious?" Hana asked.

Yukari nodded. The **K-21 NOR** was based on the IFV of the same name. Like the South Korean K-21, the K-21 NOR was a highly advanced IFV. In fact, it was the most popular IFV in NOR, because it was both cheap and advanced. Its legendary 80-mm cannon, which could fire a wide variety of shots, was even more dangerous with its magical ability, which doubled its firepower from 80-mm to 160-mm!

"But it's very good!" Yukari admitted.

"And the Namer?"

Yukari explained that the Namer Onager was one of the most popular vehicles in NOR. Its magical power, catapulting girls, proved to be useful in combat. Outside of combat, many girls loved to launch from it, because anyone who launched from it never got hurt!

"Can we launch from the Namer?" a good number of voices echoed.

"No!" Miho called. "We are not close enough. Instead, launch the **Matador**!"

"Oh boy!" Yukari squealed. "Isuzu-dono, look!"

Hana looked. After all of the Broncos and Scorpions left, a number of giant, Humvee-like vehicles suddenly catapulted out of the hulls.

"Wait," Hana said calmly. "Aren't they the Matador, that giant troop carrier that cannot swim in water?"

"They cannot," Yukari said. "Except for their magical ability."

Hana gasped a little, as the Matadors suddenly emerged. However, they had giant claws, with which they swam like wolves. The fronts of the Matadors also had what looked like teeth.

"Mechanical werewolves," Yukari said. "Hence, the Matador is also affably nicknamed the 'Werewolf' with good reasons."

All three types of vehicles then approached the coast, but did not land on it. Instead, they surveyed the coast, inspecting for any rocky outcroppings and other hidden dangers.

"Nishizumi-sensei!" various voices blared.

"Yes?"

"All safe to land!" was the response.

"Can we launch from the Namer?" another voice asked.

Miho looked at the coast again. This time, they were much closer, and she smiled.

"You can," she said, nodding.

Suddenly, numerous girls flew into the air. The Namer Onager literally did its job well, launching the girls like stone from a catapult.

"Oh my," Hana gasped. "They should be more careful."

"They don't get injured," Saori said, sighing. "But still, I am scared that they can break a bone or two."

"Break a leg," Mako said, playfully tapping at Saori's left leg.

"Ah!"

"Oops," Mako said sarcastically, as Saori wrestled with her. "My bad."

Miho giggled, as the ship neared the coast.

"Let's go," she said.

* * *

After a few minutes of carefully navigating (just in case if there were dangerous points in the coast), the flagship finally docked. Opening its front, the door went down to become a ramp. Soon, the titanic figure of the Crucigon rumbled out, its four tracks and four giant wheels creaking and groaning against the ramp. The Turtle Team's tank followed, then the rest of the tanks, artilleries, and military vehicles went out. Vehicles of all kinds, from tracked to wheeled, fanned out.

"We have a habit of bringing in more than necessary," Miho remarked, giggling.

Like all Senshazon factions, Norans had a category of vehicles called "multi-function." Multi-function vehicles are vehicles designed to be versatile in function; most were modular, in that their chambers could be modified for specific purposes. Miho honestly thought that they had too many, but all of them proved useful, so Miho decided to keep them all: nine types.

" **Boxer NOR** ," Miho mumbled, counting them. "King Lynx, Frettchen 1, 2, and 3...and we brought all four Humvee-type vehicles again?"

Unlike most Senshazons, the Norans carried not one, but four types of "Humvee-type" vehicles. These were vehicles much like the legendary Humvee; like the Humvee, they were versatile and ran on four wheels. The Norans had this many, because each one was created by a company, so that four companies competed against each other. Being a capitalist economy, the Norans kept them, and they worked.

" **Raphee** , **Winner** , **Dragonhawk** , and **Desert Cat** ," Miho remarked. "But they are so different, yet so similar."

"What makes them so distinct?" Hana asked.

"Raphee is the only one with some designs based on the Humvee," Yukari explained. "Actually, it has various designs from Dozor-B of Ukraine and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle models of USA. Its functions range from troop carrier to fast attack and basically almost everything that you can think of for a Humvee. The Winner is based on the First Win of Thailand, so it looks quite cool. The Dragonhawk has the coolest name of the four, and the coolest-looking, with designs based on various Humvee-like models, but it is the only one with a chassis based on the Punisher."

"Ah," Mako said. "The Punisher...that futuristic-looking carrier from Russia that Katyusha loves to ride on. She says that it makes her feel 'powerful.' I say that it makes her look cute."

"And the Desert Cat?" Hana asked.

"It is based on the Plasan Sand Cat of Israel," said Yukari. "At first, Nishizumi-dono wanted to reduce the number of vehicles, focusing on those that mattered. However, the Desert Cat proved too popular, and rumors say that it has 'beautifying' effects on the user. The exact power is not really understood, but it does seem to...make us feel good."

"Regardless," Miho said, as she stood up on the turret. "We're going to first find that bio-signature, and investigate. If this is their land, we will leave ASAP. If they allow us to stay, we'll settle down."

The others nodded. The lands already looked and felt very habitable. Various grasses, bushes, and trees dotted the lands, but most were covered and not sandy. In fact, the area felt very much like a mixture of both Anzian and San Glorian: Mediterranean-style but cooler.

"This looks so good to settle down!" one of the girls declared, and the others nodded.

"Don't camp yet," Miho warned. "Be ready to leave, or even fight when necessary. We will find that signal, so please stay put."

 **The others groaned, but obeyed. The Crucigon then thundered away, followed by a small convoy of vehicles: a K3 Zainichi, a Merkava Mk.5 Lev Ruach, two Kittens, a K-21 NOR, a Namer Onager, and a Boxer NOR modified as an IFV.**

"Boxer NOR!" Yukari squealed. "The original Boxer is one of the best APCs in the world! It is modular, so that it is designed to allow for a variety of functions!"

"That's why we have it with us," Miho said, as the convoy beelined for the signal. "And good thing that we have flat land here."

The rest of the vehicles stayed behind, with the three ships still hugging the coasts.

"Can't we set up camp?" one of the girls asked loudly through the radio.

"No," Miho answered. "One time, when we did, it caused some misunderstanding between us and some elves at least three times, who thought that we're invading. Just in case, we're not going to try it, especially in this strange land."

The girls continued for at least 20 minutes, as they traversed through the strange landscape.

"It sure looks like tepuis all around us," Hana remarked. "Much like ours."

"Not exactly," Miho said. "Our environment is more or less a conglomeration of a variety of flora and fauna. This place, however, feels like...South Africa!"

The others then started to talk among themselves. The infantry girls, inside of the Boxer IFV, the K-21 NOR, the Namer Onager, and the Merkava, chatted with renewed energy.

"Then that means!" one of the girls declared. "That we can find that famous Cape flora plant world?"

"Not so fast," Miho said sternly. "We have to find that signal, which should...be about now-augh!"

Miho made a noise that sounded like a mixture of a hiccup and a gasp. The entire group stopped, as Miho looked.

"Mako-san!" Miho said, looking down. "Did you see what I see?"

Mako stayed silent, but her visible shaking said it all.

"What happened?" the others asked.

"I think it was a mirage," Miho said. "But...I think that it was something...girls, let's move on. I think we'll see more."

"You and Mako seem to have super eyes," Saori groaned. "Especially since this fog is annoying."

Indeed, they were in the middle of what looked like a strange fog. It was not there a few seconds ago, so the sudden appearance was unexpected. However, the girls were used to warfare, so the fog was a mere setback. They continued on.

"No," Miho said. "I think I...just am quite sensitive."

"N-no," Mako stuttered. "It-it was no-no mirage...it was a reflection of something in the distance."

"What was it?" Saori asked, clearly both curious and concerned.

"You can now see it," Mako curtly replied, and the others looked out.

Gasps echoed all around them, as the high cliffs in the distance, from the plateau-like structures caused the sounds to reverberate.

"What the..."

"Oh my goodness!"

"Zon!"

White piles covered an entire plain in the distance. At first, a fog covered the landscape, but it soon disappeared, revealing its ugly face. At a distance, for most Humans, all they would see was white, conical piles of something dry and...white. However, the girls were Senshazons, so they had very sharp eyes. They saw what the piles were:

Bones.

Lots of bones.

"Piles of bones?!" Yukari gasped, as she and others peeked out of their hatches to stare.

The convoy then shortened the distance, and the piles became even clearer to see. They were piles of bones, but were chalk-white with holes in them...because they were piles of skulls.

Thousands and perhaps millions were piled high. The convoy soon formed a line, and the Crucigon slowly entered the plain. There was a single path, devoid of almost all skulls; apparently, somebody cleared it for easy movement.

"What just happened here?!" Saori asked what everybody else was thinking.

"A massive genocide?" one of the girls innocently asked.

"No," Miho said. "These are not skulls of humans, but animal skulls..."

"What are they all doing here?" Hana gasped, sweating a little (she was not the type to sweat easily).

Miho then signaled to stop, but nobody wanted to get out completely. Miho, however, jumped down and picked up a single skull with a special clamp.

"It's a zebra skull," Miho said.

"Yup," Saori sighed. "Definitely Africa."

"But this looks more like North America," Yukari said in a low voice. "In the early days of the US, European immigrants technically slaughtered millions of bison, just to try and destroy native Americans."

Miho suddenly turned, sweating with a frightened face.

"Yu-Yukari-san," she stammered. "I-I...I think you're spot on."

The entire convoy suddenly shivered, as a single stream of wind suddenly flowed through. The strange, dry smell of the bones filled their bones, causing them to cough and shiver all the more.

"And-and," Mako stuttered. "Now-now I...I..."

"Please hold," Hana said, trying to calm Mako down. "This is no serious joke."

"But these are skulls," Miho said, inspecting the pile. Slowly approaching one of the piles, she saw more.

"No human skulls," she noted. "Just skulls of zebras, antelopes, cattle, and pigs. Some look clearly wild, while others are domesticated."

The girls gasped.

"Then," Hana said. "Where are the people?"

Miho looked around, then a reflection of light caught her eyes.

"Girls!" Miho declared, getting onboard with lightning speed. "Follow us!"

The Crucigon revved up its engine, then rumbled through. The others followed suit.

"The light is around where the signal is," Miho noted. "Then that means...something happened here."

"What happened?" Yukari asked.

"We have to find out," was all Miho replied, before she watched with an intense eye, surveying the surroundings while focused on the signal and the light.

Soon, the girls sighted something very odd: a table. A single, wooden table stood in the middle of the piles, specifically right in the middle of the road. It was plain but ebony-black, and on top of it was...a shiny mirror on a stand.

"Huh?!" the girls reacted, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" Miho reacted, tilting her head, clearly confused. "What...is this?"

The girls then stopped, and Miho and her team got out. All except Mako stood before it; Mako herself clung to Saori's left arm with fervor.

Miho then carefully approached the table. Nothing except the mirror was on it, but Miho smelled both.

"Somebody was here," Miho said.

Unlike Humans, Senshazons had a sharp sense of smell, allowing them to even smell distant smokes and human odors with relative ease.

"Any sign of life?" Saori asked.

"But our signal said that there was something like life here," Hana said. "All I see is...a mirror."

"Careful!" Saori warned, as Miho took the mirror.

Miho stared at it. It reflected her face, which was as youthful as her old Human self. However, she had longer, shinier brown hair; her larger, brighter eyes also shone into the mirror. She stared at it, and touched her face.

"I look alright," Miho said what was perhaps the understatement of the century.

Suddenly, the mirror shook and Miho gasped. She then frantically put it on the stand, but it continued to shake. The others watched, tense and ready.

A strange, blue mist crept out of the mirror, as if it had a leak. Then, the mist formed larger, becoming what looked like a cloud, which then whitened at first, then darkened. The ebony table also started to lighten, turning from black to brown. Eventually, the cloud morphed, and the figure of a man appeared.

The girls watched, shocked.

It was a man, but with dark skin and almond-shaped eyes. The man looked lean, but Miho could tell that he had a strong physique. The man held what looked like a spear and a bag. However, the man had a vague outline.

"Just like the elves," Saori whispered.

 **Indeed, it was a déjà vu for most of the girls. When they activated a shrine, the elves came out almost the same way, except they came out of shrines, rather than a plain mirror.**

Miho stood, waiting. The man spoke nothing, so she made a deep breath.

"Who are you?" Miho calmly asked.

The strange being then stood, as if ignorant. Then, slowly, the figure turned.

"I am a member of the New San," he spoke with a ghostly, deep voice.

"New San?" the girls asked.

"One among many," he spoke. "From southern Africa, who ended up here in Sulubi, the new land that resembles our own, except...that it is far better."

He was clearly a native of the lands.

"Ah!" Yukari began to speak. "A Bu-"

Saori shushed her. San people hated the term "Bushman," which was a little derogatory."

"My apology," Miho said. "But...who are you?"

"Ah..." the ghost said, nodding slowly. "I apologize. I am...not in a good mood...but you all will..."

He blinked, then cleared his throat. He then lowered his spear, which Miho noticed with some vigilance.

"We are the spirits of this land," he said, his voice slowly deepening. "And we have come to take revenge...on you!"

* * *

 **Wow, this took quite a while to build. I guess I was out of ideas. Finally, this chapter is out.**

 **Hence, I appreciate any help with this chapter. I hope that I have nailed one part of the exploration part right.**

 **Panzer vor.**


	9. Chapter 9: True Honor

**Greetings from SeekerMeeker.**

 **Yes, I think that's one of my specialties now: cliffhangers.**

 **But like spice, I should be careful with the use, as too many can ruin a good story.**

* * *

 **This chapter is finally polished! Those who have helped me are listed at the end!**

* * *

 **Girls und Krieg**

 **Chapter 9: True Honor**

"Yikes," Yukari remarked nonchalantly, not surprised at all.

Miho stayed still, her face calm but tense. Her left hand held the ghostly man's spear firmly; she was surprised that she could hold it.

"Impressive," the ghostly man mumbled.

Miho stood still. It was just like a few times before; when she and her allies activated certain shrines, the spirits attacked. **Apparently, in some of these cultures, fighting was the "main" way of communication. She really did not like that, but she respected it.**

In this case, she had a slight sense of pity.

"Ano," she began. "I-oh!"

The man whipped out a knife, but Miho kicked it off. Despite being much shorter, the man was quite nimble.

"Of course," Mako noted, although she shivered (she hated ghosts). "I read something about the Bu-"

Saori slapped her quiet.

"Ouch," she groaned. "What was that?"

"Don't call him that," Saori hissed. "I think that he's a member of the San."

"What's the difference?" Mako asked.

The ghost blinked, then smiled.

"I am," he replied (Saori hiccuped, as she did not expect him to have such good ears). "Don't worry about calling me San or Bushman, since we are not exactly like the original San. And I see you all: strong and..."

He tilted his head, staring at her.

"Are you Dutch?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"Are you Dutch?" he asked again, raising an eyebrow.

"No," she replied, shaking her head.

"British?" he asked again.

"No."

"Portuguese?"

"No."

The other girls looked at each other; the sudden change of the mood was slightly jarring.

"White?" he asked again.

Miho blinked.

"White?" she asked, puzzled.

However, instead of explaining, he simply nodded.

"Good," he said. "Well then..."

Miho still held the spear, but she felt him trying to pry it off. Eying him more closely, she realized that the man's demeanor softened greatly.

"What is your reason for this hostility?" she asked vigilantly.

The man stared into her eyes. His smaller, almond-shaped eyes glared into the eyes of Miho, at least three times as large and clearly round. In fact, the irises between the two were as different as between a cat and a lion.

The two stared...for quite a while. A little far away, the girls stared at the fight.

"Atchoo!" one of the girls sneezed.

"Oh," the man noted nonchalantly. "Here they come."

At first, they watched, but nothing happened.

Then, a few movements caught many girls' eyes.

"Hic!" Mako gasped, shivering. "I hate them..."

"What?" Saori asked, clearly confused.

"Those skulls are moving," Mako curtly replied, causing a good number of girls, especially the young ones, to shriek.

Sure enough, a few of the skulls started to shake, then roll slightly towards them...

* * *

"EEEK!"

Girls then immediately ducked into the safety of their vehicles, as the skulls soon rolled towards the vehicles. Fortunately, the girls closed the doors, just as the skulls rolled into the tanks and the vehicles' undersides.

Yet they ignored the ghostly man, Miho, and her Crucigon tank.

The ghostly man just shrugged, but he eyed the tank.

"Well," he admitted. "Girls are girls."

"What happened?" Miho asked, vigilant.

"The skulls are cursed," he explained. "But they have a funny thing: they just roll over you, but don't do anything. I find it stupid that whoever cursed them...had a cruel sense of humor."

"So," Miho said. "Those skulls are completely harmless?"

He nodded.

"I am scared!" a number of voices roared from the interior of the vehicles.

"Girls," Miho said, speaking through her speakers. "It's alright; stay in but they won't do anything."

"But why aren't they attacking our tank?" Saori asked the obvious question.

The others looked at him, who blinked.

"I have no idea," he admitted, causing the others to feel like falling down in shock (except they did not, because of the skulls).

"All I know," he continued, scratching his head. "That one of the intruders was a powerful but...stupid magician. Instead of cursing the skulls to become something demonic and dangerous, they just...roll over you and try to crush you, but they are just a bunch of skulls."

"For fear factor?" Yukari asked.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"Just to scare people?" Saori translated what Yukari meant.

"I guess so," he admitted. "Ah, there is a way to stop the curse: you girl."

"Hai," Miho replied, turning to face him.

"If you fight me well," he said. "Then, the skulls will be freed, as that is one of the few things that I know. I will explain more later."

Miho nodded silently.

"If you say so," Miho said. "Let's go."

Miho nodded to her friends, and Yukari quickly threw her a pole. After testing it, she then nodded at the man. Nodding in return, the man then dropped his bag and everything in it, including the knife, and stretched his own muscles. He then removed his spear's point, which disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

 **Then, the two went at it, fighting with sticks.**

"Now that I think about it," Hana said, watching the fight while eating from her bento box. "We forgot to ask the man about why our tank is spared."

"I-I-I dun-dud-dunna care," Mako said, shutting her window shut. "I-I-I gota sleep."

"Mako!" Saori groaned. "But oh well, there is nothing we can do..."

"But wait," Yukari squealed, as she watched the fight. "This is so cool!"

Honestly, it was not that impressive. The fight was quite predictable, with the two fighting carefully with their sticks. Miho was focused on blocking the attacks, while the man did all of the attacking. Soon, even Yukari yawned, as the fight was now developing into a pattern. Hana finished her third bento, while Saori was trying to wake Mako up.

"Mako!"

"Yummy cake," was her reply.

Saori rolled her eyes, then flipped her old cell phone. She had a rather evil smirk.

"MAKO!" the familiar voice of Mako's grandmother roared. "SIT UP AND SIT DOWN, LITTLE GIRL!"

Mako literally jumped, and knocked her head into the ceiling of the tank.

"Ouch!" she groaned, then glared. "You..."

Saori smirked in victory, as Mako tried to wrestle. Although she was Senshazon, she was far weaker than the bigger, more awake Saori.

Miho and the man stopped and looked up, confused.

"Sorry~" Saori said casually, as Mako's hands tried to grasp her (she got out halfway, her torso exposed). "We're in some personal fight."

The man shrugged, and the two continued. Soon, the skulls started to roll away from the tanks and vehicles.

"Whew..." some of the girls' voices started to echo, as the girls could tell that the skulls rolled en masse away. Some peeked from firing ports, while others had cameras to survey the surroundings. Due to having helmet-mounted displays, the crew of the Merkava were the first to clearly see what was going on. As the fight dragged on, the skulls soon rolled away, to the point that there were none beneath the vehicles' bellies.

"Good!" the commander of the Merkava declared, as she tapped into the communications. "Girls, we are all free! Let's get out!"

At first, some of the girls hesitated, but some of them got out, stretching. **Although there was a lot of space inside of the vehicles (Senshazon vehicles had a special power that extended the interior space ), nothing beat fresh air.**

"What was that?" one of the girls gasped, eyeing the piles of skulls nervously.

"I have no idea," another replied, panting a little. "But I am glad that they're far away; we're going to wash our vehicles!"

"They're harmless skulls," the man shouted, as he continued to fight against Miho. "They're dry now."

One of the girls just rolled her eyes, as some got out with towels. All of the vehicles had special self-cleaning systems, so that they were able to wash the vehicles. The Crucigon was the only one that did not activate, as none of the skulls even "attacked" it.

"Let's ask the man," Saori said. "As to why the skulls did not cover our tank."

"I don't care," Mako stammered, hiccuping a little. "Good thing...they did not."

* * *

 **An hour later...**

"Should we help?" one of the girls asked, clearly bored. After everything had happened, the girls continued to watch the fight.

"I just want to shoot at him," one of the girls said, directing the turret of her Kitten tank.

"Wait," Saori said firmly. "As the Commander said: this is their fight."

The girls groaned, but obeyed as the fight dragged on...

* * *

 **Another hour later...**

On the Crucigon, Saori was trimming her nails. Hana was tending to a bonsai tree that she had inside of the tank. Yukari was manning a strange camera-like equipment, with which to record the fight. Mako...simply slept again (this time, Saori just ignored her, as the fight dragged on).

The K3 Zainichi, one of the most advanced tanks, stood right behind the tank. Onboard, the girls watched, bored.

"I am bored," the driver groaned, and her friends agreed. They then stared at the fight, which dragged on for a while.

"Ah!" the commander declared, clapping her hands. "How about we prepare a Korean BBQ grill?"

Everybody in her team jumped for joy, their energy revitalized.

"I will tell the others!" her gunner said, activating her communications.

The commander and her driver got out, as they opened up certain compartments of their tank. Soon, they took out some grills and everything needed for a grill. Others quickly came out, setting their feet on the solid ground for the first time in hours.

"Finally!" some of them groaned, rubbing their bellies. "Something to do!"

Soon, while Miho and the ghostly man were still fighting, some of the girls from the other vehicles prepared. The Merkava tank had a crew of four, and carried about four more girls as soldiers inside. Behind still, two Kitten light tanks had the crew of three from each get out.

Behind still, the crew and soldiers inside of the troop carriers, the K-21 NOR, the Namer Onager, and the Boxer NOR IFV, all came out to prepare the grills, while taking out boxes, bags, and even crates of food. The Crucigon's crew salivated a little, but turned back to face the fight. The wind blew from where the fight was going on, so that both the man and Miho were unaware of the grilling.

"Braai time!" one of the girls screamed.

Hana blinked.

"I wonder if that is a coincidence," she pondered, as she combed the bonsai tree. "I recall that our spies report that the lands here resemble South Africa."

Saori blinked, then gasped.

"Oh yeah!" she noted. "I notice that some of our cultural norms resemble South Africa!"

"South Africa?" Mako asked.

 **"South Africa is known as the 'rainbow nation,'" Saori explained. "And it's odd...that we Norans are here."**

 **"Hopefully we won't have that apartheid or something," Yukari said. The mood suddenly changed, and Yukari herself gulped.**

 **"So-sorry," she gasped.**

 **"Do not worry," Hana said, calm. "There is a reason to talk about history. We learn from it."**

Behind, the girls finally prepared some meat and other dishes, and shared among the teammates.

Suddenly, the fight stopped.

"Done?" Miho asked, gasping a little.

"No," the ghost said, gasping himself. "I just need...a break."

"Can ghosts do that?" Mako asked, although she stuttered. "And I am hungry."

"A quick snack?" one of the girls behind asked, as she flipped some sausages. The aroma of meat being cooked pervaded the air.

"Here!" one of the girls cried, showing a plate of grilled steak and other delicious morsels.

The wind suddenly changed, and Miho smelled the aroma of the grills. Her stomach growled.

"Hungry?" the man asked.

She nodded, blushing. Suddenly, the man laughed.

"I am hungry too," he said.

"Can ghosts eat?" Mako asked, despite stuttering. "Now I am confused."

Miho then was about to leave, but the man stopped her.

"Please get the food from a distance," he said sternly. "Since we are not done."

Miho blinked, then nodded.

 ** _Some people have odd cultural norms,_ she wondered. _Such as how to respect a fight. Well, if I have to do that, then it's better than a literal war._**

Suddenly, the man threw her something, and she caught it. It was another spear. No longer very surprised, she then used it to poke at a dish that one of the girls brought. Its translucent point somehow managed to pierce a piece, with which Miho then gave to him.

"You first," she said.

He nodded silently, and ate.

She then ate.

Then, the two stood for a while, before drinking some water and resuming the fight.

"Is he even a ghost?" Mako asked again, stuttering less. "Ghosts cannot eat or drink. Yet he's acting very much alive."

The girls watched the fight, as they continued with their own feast.

* * *

 **Two more hours later...**

The group of girls already cleaned up, and now were chatting casually. Soon, however, one of them pointed.

"Look!" a very young-looking girl with brown hair squealed. "She's winning!"

The others looked. At first, there was not much difference between the two. However, on closer inspection, the ghostly man was starting to pant a little harder than Miho. She noticed it as well, and then noticed a weak spot in the man's defense: he was starting to concentrate more on his right side, rather than his left.

With a quick move, she pretended to attack his right side. Sure enough, he reacted, but left his left side open, and she hit it.

"Ack!" he gasped, hiccuping.

The sudden blow to his vulnerable side then left him much more open. Dodging a desperate blow from him, she then rammed him with her pole, "impaling" him in the middle of his chest. More specifically, she poked him very hard with the butt of her staff. The man gasped, as he fell down, his pole rolling away. Wasting no time, Miho then disarmed him properly, by hitting the fallen pole very hard, so that it rolled way out of the bounds. She then pointed at him with her own pole.

"I win," she panted.

The man looked up, then smiled.

"You are finer than any animal I've hunted," he remarked, laughing. "Wow, you are definitely not a Human. I wish I could have known."

She blinked.

"I like your resolve," he said. "And thank you for the fight; it has been...too long, since I have done something like that. It fills me with a sense of great honor."

"Umm," Miho said. "What do you mean?"

"Let's talk," he said, sitting down.

Miho blinked, but simply complied, sitting down next to him and chatting.

 **"OK," Yukari said, watching the two. "Crazy things have happened today. One, we see these piles of skulls. Two, we find the signal, but it comes from this ghost-man who is very much alive. And three, they're chatting as if they are friends already."**

 **"This is a crazy world," Mako said, no longer stuttering. "We should not be too surprised at this rate; we've lived for centuries, remember?"**

 **"But Alterra sure is a strange world," Hana said. "We are now this strange race called Senshazons, and we have found a new land that nobody has expected. Now, what more can we expect?"**

The talk was a long one, but Miho soon found out:

 **The Ghost was formerly a member of some strange tribe (which he refused to name), but from small details, Miho's sharp mind could tell that he was some member of the San and related groups. From what little she knew about them, she knew that they belonged to the Khoisan, an umbrella group of tribes of Southern Africa. She knew about them, because they were one of the oldest groups of humans in the world, based on genetic analyses.**

"What about these piles?" she asked.

 **"Ah," he admitted, his face now stern. "I think I have forgotten to tell you all, so I will tell you. My tribe was persecuted and obliterated by the enemies, whom I note were quite pale and savage. You girls are pale, but much nicer than them, and they were all men. And yes, those piles of bones were actually created by the enemies, who then slaughtered our livestock and our wild animals en masse."**

"Just to kill you all?" Miho asked, gasping.

He nodded sadly.

 **"No way," Yukari whispered. "This is just like what some Europeans did, slaughtering millions of innocent bison in North America, just to try and destroy the native Americans."**

The others nodded grimly.

"Good thing they could not kill the animals," he said with a forced smile. "But then, those invaders summoned some strange magic, and caused massive massacres."

"Why?" she gasped.

"Just to kill us off," he replied darkly. "Bad for them, as they technically failed to kill all of us. You see, one of my shamans managed to save me as I was dying. He then channeled all of myself, including my body, into this mirror. You see, the shaman used me to test the invaders. To my surprise, the invaders ignored the mirror, as they did not expect it to be something that will save me from certain doom."

"Wait," Miho said. "Aren't you dead?"

"Not exactly," he admitted. "You can say that I am not really living either. I decide to wait to 'die in glory,' and you already did your part."

Miho blinked, and she turned to look at her friends.

"Let them come," he said. They came down.

 **He then continued. Long story short, he admitted that the "pale" magicians then channeled some magic. While he watched from his mirror, he saw them cursing the piles of dead animal skulls. However, he apparently shook his head, as they were very bad at it.**

"I saw a good number of those 'mages' die from their own magic," he said, spitting. **"If you are a magician, you should be more vigilant to use magic."**

 **Miho thought about that one.**

"But yes," he continued. "The piles of skulls here were designed to try and permanently curse this land. Unfortunately, they failed, as my shaman then cast a few last spells of his own. One was that if I was defeated in honor, which you my Four Wing (Miho blushed at that nickname) did, then these piles of skulls will disappear, so that this land can be freed from any curse. Second, the life all around here will be restored. You see this area as a rather barren grassland. Once I pass on, this area will be restored to a mixture of a grassland and a savanna. These areas are full of good things, both meat and metal, and you will take them all."

"Wait," Miho gasped. "That means..."

"All of you girls," he spoke, causing others to turn to watch. "And who are you all?"

"Senshazons," they replied.

"And you?" he asked her.

"I am Nishizumi Miho," she replied. "But Miho is my first name."

 **"My chief," he said, bowing down (she blushed at that one). "I am not a mere San, but a representative of multiple peoples. We were the stewards of this particular land. We rule the deserts of the west, the grasslands and the savannas of this area south and west, and our domain ends at the land where the grasslands and savannas give way to pure savannas. You will know, when the savages up north refuse to come down. Once you know, just put walls or something to mark your territories. As I declare, you are eligible to control this land, and all this world called Sulubi is yours."**

The Anglerfish team looked at each other, then bowed down.

 **"I now tell you again," he said. "Since I am the last of my kind, I give you the right to own this land. Garden it, look after it, and rule over it well. And you all have my blessings: be fruitful, be diverse, and be strong."**

Miho made a curtsy, and he chuckled.

"I am the one who should bow down to you," he said, bowing down. "My queen."

"S-stop it please," she said, blushing. She was rather uncomfortable with people giving her nicknames and even cordial titles.

"Then," he said. "Farewell."

"Wait," Saori shouted. "Who are you all?"

"I am technically not San or Bushman," he said, as he started to fade. "And that does not matter, since I think that you all will take care of the lands, and you all are more diverse and better than us all."

"But," Saori tried to talk more, but he waved off, silencing her.

 **"It does not matter," he said, as he continued to fade slowly. "We are based on the Khoisan. Like you all, we went through the strange gate into this world called Alterra. Here, we should have grown up and transitioned into a higher society, but we were ill-prepared for the bigger threats. But our deaths were not in vain. My shaman has given me this command: give the blessings to whoever summons me and whom I consider worthy. You have saved my people, by proving your worth to inherit our blessings. Oh, and by the way, my shaman was able to do this using some strange magic. I imbue that upon you, but you won't feel it. Your own magic is merely upgraded, so use it well."**

The girls bowed down again.

 **"Farewell," he continued, as he almost disappeared, but stopped. "Oh, and one more thing: if it's your will, the ones who cursed these piles, killing my people off and all that crazy stuff...they say something about 'May the Craton live forever' or something."**

The entire convoy of girls gasped.

"Ah," he said. "I see that you all heard that?"

"They attacked our lands," Yukari said.

He nodded grimly.

"I guess I don't need to say anymore," he said. **"You already are on the right path. It will be long and hard, but it is worth it."**

"But who are you?" Hana asked. "We want to give you a proper burial."

"Worry not," he said, as only his face was visible. "You have already given me a good burial: a glorious fight. Farewell."

He disappeared, and the entire piles of skulls suddenly disintegrated. Obviously due to magic, the entire landscape suddenly morphed, and new grasses and shrubs appeared en masse; a few trees erupted out of the grounds, as if they were finally freed from bondage. The sunlight still blared, but it felt warm and nice, rather than searing and hot.

"We get blessed again," Miho remarked, as she and others looked around.

"And we now know who cursed him," Saori whispered. "And these...oh."

The mirror was gone, and so was the table. Instead, a massive tree with a weird structure stood, its trunk towering over other trees in the verdant valley.

"A baobab," Mako noted.

The girls looked around in awe. Instead of skulls, the plain was brimming with life, as numerous herds of animals, massive flocks of birds, and multiple strange creatures started to appear en masse. The girls breathed in, and sighed.

"What a better world," Hana remarked. "I wish that it was like this."

"Not always," Miho said, stretching. "It has only begun."

* * *

Despite him not telling them, the girls decided to try and give a proper memorial. Some of the girls cut down some thin trees, and managed to craft a very big cross, as tall as the ghostly man. They planted it at the base of the tree. Watching it, the Anglerfish Team stood right in front of it, while the rest of their group stood behind.

They all then bowed down, hands together.

"May you rest in peace," Mako said.

"May you sleep well," Yukari said.

"May you rest in peace," Hana said.

"May you be happy," Saori said.

"May you rest in peace," Miho said, bowing very low. "And it was an honor to fulfill your requests."

The girls bowed for a while, then stood up.

"Let's call this place," Miho said. "The San Hope."

The others agreed, and a call blared.

"Virago!" a voice erupted from one of the radio systems. "We were sick and tired! Where were you?!"

The girls looked at each other, then giggled.

"Let's go," Miho said. "We'll tell them. Let's colonize this land, because we will need to confront them...the Craton."

The others nodded grimly, as they loaded unto their vehicles. They all then drove away, back towards the coast.

"Nishizumi-sensei!" one of the girls gasped. "Look!"

 **The others looked. To the southeast of the baobab tree, the girls glimpsed something. Peering into her own binoculars, Miho saw ruins of torn tents and obvious signs of human habitation.**

"We'll check them later," Miho said. "Let's focus on getting back to our base."

Miho then looked back. The baobab tree towered over, as the girls moved away. Its crown rose, as if holding the very sky.

Suddenly, she saw him.

 **The same ghostly man appeared on top of the tree. He then waved. She waved back, but blinked. There was another man behind him, who was lighter-skinned but still tanned. He clearly did not look like a San tribesman, but wore longer clothing. The mysterious figure put a hand around the ghostly man, who then nodded. Then, the two vanished.**

"Who were they still?" Miho pondered. "But more importantly, I wonder...who is this Craton, what is this Alterra? And perhaps the most important: where is everybody else?"

* * *

 **Good thing that this time, I decide to end with a tense note, but still not really a cliffhanger.**

 **Next chapter? A special chapter!**

* * *

 **Shout-out to** **Ghost recon- Bryan Uzimaki for his elaborate feedback, which helped me with inspiration!**

 **Shout-out to commanderstarscream123 for the idea of the ruined village, which makes sense.**

* * *

 **Reviews and such are appreciated!**

 **Panzer vor!**


	10. Chapter 10: The Calm and the River

**It is now the tenth chapter...**

 **...unfortunately, I guess the previous tenth chapter was not very popular.**

 **So, I decide to go for a simpler chapter.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 **And I will say this: "Girls und Krieg" is called it with a good reason. In real life, there is almost always a period of "rest" or "preparation" before the coming storm. Don't worry; they will be more action in the next chapter.**

 **I wish the girls well.**

* * *

 **Please review if I have done the worldbuilding well enough. Thank you!**

 **"H-hi," Miho said, as she paused the story. "So-sorry to interrupt, but SeekerMeeker now decides to redo his tenth chapter. Due to nobody reviewing it, he decides to redo it. Pl-please enjoy! Panzer vor!"**

* * *

 **Girls und Krieg**

 **Chapter 10: The Calm and the River**

Miho stood on top of a plateau, overlooking a series of more plateaus, valleys, and mountains, with rivers snaking through. Scanning first with her bare eyes, she then raised her binoculars. She sighed.

"Miporin?"

"Saori-chan," Miho said, as her friends approached.

"Guess you're thinking about the invasion?"

She nodded, as she raised her binoculars again, focusing on something in the distance. A rising tide of black mass started to appear. Yet they were no shadows or some mirage.

An army was approaching.

"Are the forces ready?" Miho asked.

The others nodded.

"Then get ready on my signal," she replied.

As the others went back to their positions, Miho then looked at the Crucigon tank. It was in its immobile, SPG (self-propelled gun) form, with legs that stabilized it, while the turret's gun became one colossal 320-mm cannon, pointing up at the sky, ready to fire its infamous shells. **It really looked like some sci-fi tank from a video game.**

"So many things have happened..." Miho pondered, as she focused on the mass in the distance. "From Sulubi to finally encountering an actual Cratonic army...this is a lot to take in."

* * *

It had been seven years since the discovery of Sulubi, which the girls noted was much like southern Africa, except altered in the ways of Alterra, such as having a richer environment and more bizarre lifeforms, such as dicynodonts (weird reptilian creatures that looked like scale-less, hippo-like lizards with beaks and tusks). Alterra was always a mysterious planet, even before the girls became Senshazons. Even the elves, dwarves, orcs, and goblins back in Senshazonia had little to say. Everybody agreed that Alterra was definitely much like Earth, and many planets that are Earth-like. However, each race had a very different idea:

Elves viewed Alterra as a magical planet, full of all kinds of magical forces and other supernatural wonders. Dwarves viewed Alterra as a wondrous cornucopia of natural resources, especially magical metals and other valuable "gifts of the Earth." Orcs viewed Alterra as a great battlefield, full of great beasts to kill for trophies. Goblins viewed Alterra as one big circus, a world full of crazy wonders that even they could not fathom. Senshazons, however, viewed Alterra as a combination of all of the races above, but primarily viewing the planet as a mysterious planet full of surprises.

Today was no exception.

"Miporin?"

Miho blinked.

"We are getting ready to fire!" one of the girls' voices blared in the interface, which popped from a system within the Crucigon.

"Zon!" another voice blared, apparently heaving something. "This Alpha Fury is sure such a big baby!"

Miho smirked. The Alpha Fury gun and **all of their vehicles had undergone a universal upgrade** , in which Miho and her teams led an extensive program of revamping and reanalysis of their own arsenal, especially after discovering the native campsites. Apparently, they were obliterated by massive gunfire, leaving behind craters large enough to rival even the girls' own weapons! Miho recalled that upon seeing the evidence, she mandated an extensive upgrade of all vehicles possible.

"Are they ready?" Miho called over her own speaker. "The SPG and the MLRS artilleries?"

"All ready to fire!" Saori spoke. "Those with extra-long guns are getting ready!"

Miho then raised her right arm, as she readied her signal, remembering what had transpired only seven days ago.

"This is so much," Miho said to herself, as she was about to give the signal. "Wait, halt!"

* * *

"Miporin?!"

"Miho-san?"

"Nishizumi-sensei?!"

"What now...?"

Various voices echoed, as Miho got out of her turret totally, standing on top to squint her eyes, staring at something in the distance.

"Is it because of the army?" another voice asked. Others mumbled in agreement, as Miho looked at the army. Its composition became clearer and clearer, as she also saw what looked like flying things, hovering above the black mass.

"Flying units," Miho noted. "Good thing our tanks and attack vehicles can attack air units without much trouble."

"Can we fire now?!" one of the girls blared.

"Not yet," Miho said. "On my count...one...two...thr-wait!"

Miho called off, as she suddenly took out her binoculars.

"What is it?" Yukari asked.

"Oh come on!" various voices moaned. Many of them, especially the younger girls, were itching for a real fight. For many, this was the very first real fight in a long time.

"Hold your fire!" Miho shouted. "I see something in the river below!"

Everybody looked down, and she was right. A single boat floated down the river. Although there were multiple rivers, only one was apparently large enough for a boat to go through.

"What is that?" Mako asked, getting her head out to look. "Who would be stupid enough to float on a river, while we were ready to fire?"

"Hold your fire!" Miho shouted again into her intercom. "Watch the boat on the river below!"

Everybody froze, as multiple eyes looked down.

It was indeed a boat, something that looked a little old, something from WWII, and a little dilapidated. However, on top of it, a small group of people tried to move the boat, while signaling at the Norans above. Some of the Norans were situated on top of the plateaus, so that it was not very easy to see. However, those on the bottom saw more clearly.

"It's a group of Senshazons!" one of the girls' voices blared into the intercom. "And they're wearing scarlet armor!"

She was right. They were too tall to be normal Humans, and they wore a distinct type of armor. Yet one thing stood out:

A tank.

"Wait a second!" Miho gasped. "That's a Challenger 3 tank! Which means-"

In front of the tank, a distinct figure stood. She was not much taller than the others around her, but she had a graceful posture, albeit weakly. She waved at Miho's forces, her right arm raised, a teacup shining in the sunlight above.

Miho gasped.

"Darjeeling-san!"

* * *

 **Alright, I hope this one is better.**

 **Reviews are appreciated, so panzer vor!**


	11. Chapter 11: Tea and Rock

**Alright, I hope this chapter is not rushed.**

 **And yes, it has been a while, but let's see...**

 **My "GuK: The World of Alterra" is the more complete explanation about the world that I am designing.**

 **Inceptor57, one of the famous fanfic writers, has published his next chapter!**

 **And this chapter is finally out!**

* * *

 **Girls und Krieg**

 **Chapter 11: Tea and Rock**

"Darjeeling-san..."

Miho and her companions gasped, initially too shocked to do anything. **Seeing another Senshazon faction for the first time in over 40 years was something hard to comprehend.** After seeing one of their old allies, they were lost for words.

Then, she snapped out of it.

"Get down there ASAP!" Miho roared into her radio, her voice louder than usual. The first to react were those closest to the river, and the San Glorian-Norans.

In NOR, after the fall of the Unity Tower, many citizens from other states got stranded, and decided to stay in and assimilate into any state that they were stuck in, and NOR was no exception. **Among them were former members of the San Gloria Empire, one of the Senshazon states, based on the St. Gloriana Girls College.** They retained their formal demeanor and a habit of drinking tea. Seeing their former leader for the first time, the San Glorian-Norans wasted no time in preparing their tanks, especially the Reapard.

 **(See "GuK: The World of Alterra" about the Reapard.)**

The other Norans came down to the river en masse, and some of their tanks opened up certain hatches, in order to take out mechanical arms and other tools typically used by engineering and recovery vehicles. **Unlike normal human tanks and vehicles, the Senshazon tanks and machines double as recovery and engineering vehicles, thus negating the need for a separate category.** Two of the Reapard tanks appeared to fuse together, and created a long bridge, which stretched long enough into the river to barely reach the ship.

"Darjeeling-senpai!" some of the San Glorian-Norans screamed, crying. Others were literally crying into their teacups, tears dripping down into them.

"We missed you!" one of them screamed.

"Long time no see!" another saluted.

"Darjeeling-sama!"

"Awawawa..." one of them groaned, sounding more like a lost puppy.

Miho sniffed but smiled, as the San Glorian-Norans enthusiastically worked with the bridge, while others were preparing other mechanisms. Miho and others soon followed, and she and her friends got out to help. Fortunately for Miho's group, they got there easily, because the plateau had a natural ramp that went straight to the river, the one where the ship was coming into. Her tank then stood still, legs activated. Its rear opened, and a single repair-bot came out.

"Here!" one of the San Glorians on the ship shouted, throwing a special chain. The Norans got the chain, then attached it to a Reapard, which then tried to pull.

"Pull harder!"

"Pull!"

The ship groaned and moaned, as the Norans onshore dragged the ship towards the bridge. Miho, her team, and many others helped out.

"Pull!"

"Come on!"

The boat slowly floated towards the bridge, then stopped.

"Why won't it come?" one of the girls cried.

"Here!" Miho cried. "Crucigon! Fire a rope!"

On command, the Crucigon turned its turret, and its gun fired a special chain, with a gripping hook (shaped like a claw) that caught the boat. The Crucigon was one of the few tanks with AI potential.

"Pull!" Miho ordered.

The Crucigon pulled, and the boat then finally moved, and hit the bridge. Immediately, those on top of the bridge jumped into the boat, hugging and crying with their former brethren.

"We missed you!" the San Glorian-Norans shouted.

"Sorry if we're not elegant in our rescue!" one of them cried, bowing down at Darjeeling. "And...Darjeeling-sama?"

She coughed, but tried to smile.

"Uh oh," one of the San Glorian-Norans looked down at something in the boat.

"What is it?" Miho asked, when she noticed that they were staring at something. Darjeeling chuckled weakly.

"The ship is not the best," was all the leader of the San Glorians said, before the ship cracked and burst.

CRACCKKK!

"DARJEELING-SAN!"

* * *

 **A few minutes later...**

"Zon," Yukari gasped. "That almost got me!"

Fortunately, the dilapidated boat was close enough to the riverine coast, so that when it sank, the Norans rescued their allies very easily. Unfortunately, all of the San Glorians onboard were wet, and being San Glorians, who liked being tidy and clean, they did not like that.

"Atchoo!" Darjeeling sneezed, sniffing. She laid down in a bed, within a Boxer NOR ambulance. Unlike a normal military vehicle, Senshazon vehicles like this had a special power in all of them, in which the interior dimension was a lot larger than the external dimension would suggest. Hence, the inside was more like a large living room, with multiple tables and gadgets all around. There were at least three beds, with Darjeeling lying down in the middle.

On her right was Miho, who looked at her, like a mother concerned for her daughter; she had a teacup in her hands. On her left was Hana, who was making some tea. All other San Glorians were in a number of Boxer NOR ambulances, as they had to rest after the escape. Plus, they were both showering and drying themselves.

"You alright?" Miho asked, handing her the cup of herbal tea. While NOR had its own tea, it was particularly famous for its herbal tea, known for healing properties. One was the rooibos tea, which had a unique aroma to it, which had a golden-orange color to it. Darjeeling sniffed it.

"I am...um," Darjeeling hesitated. Her beautiful, blond hair was a little wet and very dirty, showing the signs of much hardship. It did not take long for Miho and her friends to tell what happened, although Miho was very concerned.

"Darjeeling-san!" Miho said, a little louder than usual. "What happened? I can tell that you went through a lot, and please...just tell us. We're friends, after all."

"Well," Darjeeling giggled nervously. "That's...yeah."

She took the cup, and sipped it. She sighed in relief. Miho and Hana looked at each other. Her odd wording implied that something was off. Darjeeling normally would formally talk, not leave them hanging.

"It must have been hard," Hana finally spoke. Darjeeling nodded.

"Where is your state?!" a voice roared from outside.

The three girls looked at the entrance, as Yukari thundered in, running up the ramp.

"Now-now," Hana said. "Let her rest; she's still recovering."

"Oops!" Yukari gasped, deflating. "So-sorry, it has been so long."

"I am surprised that you're back so early," Miho said. "I mean, aren't you so excited about the Challenger 3?"

"It was!" Yukari squealed, her face beaming, which then became downcast at seeing Darjeeling. "But our friends...don't look so good."

Darjeeling sighed, but smiled.

"I really think that I need to tell you all," she answered. "I will make it very quick, though. And...thank you for caring for us."

Yukari, Hana, and Miho all smiled, but Miho then remembered.

"Wait," Miho said. "You don't need to tell us so soon. We can tell that you all escaped from the Cratonic army. Please rest."

She nodded in agreement, then shook.

"But there is more," she began to speak, but coughed.

"Please rest," Hana said a little seriously, as she made her lie down. "You are safe now. You can explain later."

"Speaking of that," Yukari began. "What happened-"

"Miporin!" Saori's voice blared over the radio, which went into Miho's four-wing headwear.

"What is it?" Miho asked, turning her phone more properly to hear. Darjeeling looked at her, marveling at the tiara-like headwear.

"We found something!" her voice trembled. "A tracking device on the Challenger 3!"

The others gasped, but Darjeeling only sighed calmly.

"Let us go there," she replied. "We will talk more. I think I know why."

* * *

 **A few seconds later...**

"Where is she?"

A deep, growling voice echoed from the tracking device, as the Boxer NOR, which held Darjeeling inside, rumbled towards the **Challenger 3** (the ramp was up, but the entrance was a little open, so that the girls inside could see the outside). The Challenger 3 was the mascot of San Gloria; unlike the original Challenger 2 of the UK, the Challenger 3 was more of a San Glorian invention. On the outside, it looked remarkably like the Challenger 2, except sleeker, with a shinier exterior, more like a stealth, futuristic tank than a main battle tank. Indeed, it was one of the best tanks of all Senshazonia.

 **(See "GuK: The World of Alterra" for more info. on San Gloria.)**

A crowd gathered around, with Saori and Mako looking at the tracking device, which was on top of the tank's front.

It looked like a golden pocket watch. However, it had a few holes, where the voice blared out.

"Where is she?" the voice rumbled again.

"Who?" Saori asked, trying to stay calm. Some of the girls trembled, as the voice sounded a little creepy. For some of them, it made sense, since they had never seen a man in real life, so his voice sounded all the creepier.

"What is going on?" Miho asked, pretending to be ignorant; Darjeeling already told her a few things about what to anticipate, so she was ready.

"Who is this?" the voice asked again, this time growling harder.

"I am the friend of this 'slave' whom you want back," Miho answered seriously; Saori sighed silent, as she did not like to talk to that strange voice, and was glad to let Miho take control.

"Where is she?" the voice asked.

"Stop calling for her," Miho answered, frowning a little. "Duke Basil."

Duke Basil was the man calling over the tracking device. He was the one in charge of the force that Miho's force was about to assault. However, after discovering that his "slaves" escaped, he threw a fit, and personally slaughtered most of his wardens in charge of prisons, accusing them of letting them escape. Fortunately, a sensible soldier stepped in, telling him that one of his mechanics managed to implant a tracking device on the Challenger 3.

Miho had never seen Basil, but his voice said a lot.

"Where is she?" Basil growled.

Darjeeling also told her a little about Basil. Duke Basil looked like a noble, military commander, wearing something that looks like a royal military uniform from the Napoleonic era. However, it was not much description, and Miho could tell that Darjeeling did not enjoy describing him. Miho only guessed that seeing him would solve the rest of the mystery.

"She's safe here," Miho said. "What did you all do to her and her friends?"

"Why do I need to answer that?" Basil grunted. "Are you a Virago?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"And why do I need to answer _that_?" Miho asked. She started to dislike this man by the second; Darjeeling was right to warn her about this man's behavior. Normally, she was the kind to be nice first, then judge later. However, this man's attitude was rather rude for a human, from her perspective.

"Because she belongs to me," Basil answered.

Miho frowned at that remark, while the rest of the girls mumbled in various stages of horror, terror, and disgust.

"She does not," Miho said. "Duke Basil, you left her alone, only because she convinced you all that she and her friends are valuable as 'virgins,' and you all left her in prison. Fortunately, you all underestimated us quite easily."

"We can just defeat you all!" Basil roared. "Just like we did against the San Glorians, may the Craton rise forever! In the name of our Craton, we will destroy you and all your woman-only race!"

Miho frowned at **his** remark. She met a few boys back when she was a normal human girl, but this man's behavior was unlike that of a typical boy.

 **He sounded more like a whiny boy, than a general in charge of his army. However, Darjeeling warned her that he was "more than that," so Miho was careful with her words.**

"How about this?" Miho asked calmly. "Let us meet at a specific place, where we all will fight like noble-MEN. We originally were about to fire from plateaus and high hills. But I think that it's more honorable if we fight in a flat valley, right?"

Duke Basil growled, then Miho heard a slight giggle. She did not like that sound, as Darjeeling told her that he was crafty.

"Alright," Duke Basil said. "To the amazons of the horkans, we are here to challenge you to a good fight. Let us meet at the Valley of Dry Grass, and then we'll face you head-on. No cheating."

The girls looked at each other. Miho looked back at Darjeeling, who was sitting up, still in bed. Darjeeling nodded.

"Deal," Miho said. "We'll face you at the Valley of Dry Grass now."

A sudden gulp echoed from the device. Miho blinked, then made a silent "aha" face.

"No-now?!" Duke Basil's voice echoed, trembling a little (a good number of Senshazons mumbled, glad to hear him like that). "Wai-wait, how about-"

"Now," Miho said. "If you want your slave back, we better fight here. Right here, right now, at the Valley of Dry Grass. We already know where to go, so see you there in about five minutes."

Duke Basil growled, then coughed.

"**** you!" Basil grunted. "Man! Ahem! Alright, amazon-girl, we'll meet you at the Valley of Dry Grass now."

"Now?!" multiple men's voices roared in the background. "S-si-sir! We don't have enough-"

"THAT'S AN ORDER!" Basil roared, as Miho and her friends listened. "Or I will ensure that you all will be humiliated at the feet of the Craton, may Craton rise forever! Now go!"

Whimpers echoed in the background, and many footsteps rumbled about. Miho sighed.

"I hope that Basil is the exception," Miho said. "He sounds a little cruel for a Cratonic leader. But we don't really know about this Craton or the Cratonic forces."

"He's the only one we've met," Darjeeling said, speaking through a speaker to conserve her voice. "And from the looks of it, he's one bad boy."

"What does he mean by 'horkans'?" Karina asked. The others agreed.

"Darjeeling-sama told me," Miho said. "It's their term for tanks. Girls, keep watch over your tanks."

"Eh?" they asked.

"Don't we already do that?" Azusa asked.

"Yes," Miho said. "But the Cratonians, the ones we will face, like to steal technologies from us."

"Looting?" one of the girls asked.

Miho shook her head.

 **"Remember the San Glorians had a huge museum with a variety of WWII-era tanks and all?" she asked.**

 **The others, especially those who were former Humans, nodded.**

 **"The Cratonians stole some of them," Miho said. "And modified them for their own use."**

They gasped.

"Let's go," Miho said quickly. "They will infiltrate our camps, which is why I made him take the deal. That way, they have little time to steal our tech. Now go!"

* * *

 **Five minutes later...**

"How about your other friends?" Miho asked.

They were now preparing en masse. Regiments after regiments lined up one side of the valley. Despite its name, it was quite green, with tall grasses swaying in the winds. However, a wall of fog blanketed the middle, so that it was hard to see the other side. The Senshazons knew that it was the Valley of Dry Grass, because a few weeks ago, it was actually dry, with vast areas of brown grass leaves.

From the side of the Senshazons, they were getting ready. One huge wall of soldiers of all kinds lined up. In front were vanguard units, heavy infantry units such as the Defenders, who could soak in damage. Behind the heavy ones were various ranged units, such as archers, troopers, and gunners, raised their weapons, ready to fire. Various regiments dotted the flanks, as they were skirmishers ready to disrupt the enemy lines. Tanks lined together with the main and heavy infantry units in the vanguards, while various artilleries and modified combat vehicles stayed in the back, but not far away.

 **(See "GuK: The World of Alterra" for chapters on this. The next chapter of this story will show more.)**

"Fortunately good," Darjeeling said. Next to her was Orange Pekoe, who was in her own bed; she insisted on staying next to Darjeeling.

"You all must have suffered a lot," Hana said. "You had no time to even clean after yourself."

Darjeeling and Pekoe both nodded.

"Yes," Darjeeling said. "We used up much of our energy, in order to protect ourselves from...advances and assaults and things that teenage girls don't want to experience. Fortunately, Pekoe was the one who gave the argument that we're more valuable as virgins."

"What were they going to do with you?" Yukari innocently asked.

"Think about history," Orange Pekoe said, sighing. Both she and Darjeeling had very messy, dirty hair, which two of the San Glorian-Norans were working with, washing and fixing them.

"Um," Yukari tried to think. "It's been a while, especially since we're no longer humans."

"The Nanjing Massacre," Darjeeling replied. Miho and her team suddenly shivered.

"Oh," Yukari mumbled. "Sorry."

"That's alright," Darjeeling said, smiling. "It's actually good to talk about such topics."

"We are fortunately safe and sound," Pekoe sighed. "Most of our San Glorians-captured as prisoners-were just clone-girls, so that our loss was minimal. Unfortunately, Darjeeling-sama and I got caught, and we were dragged away."

"And your other Virago?" Miho asked.

"Assam is on an espionage mission," Darjeeling replied. "Rosehip and Rukuriri are in charge of a small camp of refugees."

"Wait," Miho said. "What about your state?"

"That can wait," she replied sternly. "Have you heard the saying? 'All is fair in love and war'? And this: 'Time is gold'?"

"The first is from John Lyly," Orange Pekoe answered, coughing. "And the second is supposed to be from Benjamin Franklin."

"Kay-san..." Miho said in a whisper. Then, she looked up, full of resolve. **The fog was disappearing quickly, and she and her friends knew that they would face the army soon.**

"Good thing we came here soon," Darjeeling said. "At this point, they have little time to get reinforcements. You will need to win this."

"Why?" Miho asked. She knew that she had to win, in order to prove that Darjeeling did not belong to this Duke Basil, but she wondered why.

"Basil likes to blind his enemies," Darjeeling answered. "But he does not do it to us, thinking that we're better without. And give him the best spank you can give."

Miho blinked, surprised at her words.

"Why?"

"You will see," was all Darjeeling said, before she looked on. Miho and her forces looked at the valley, and gasped.

"Oh wow," Miho said.

* * *

 **Another short chapter, but I had to do what I had to do. A good chapter does not always need to tell everything.**

 **Next chapter will be a glorious battle, something like that of the "Lord of the Rings" or something like that.**

 **Hence, that will take a while to work out.**

 **So, please REVIEW and FAVORITE and FOLLOW if you can!**

 **(Yes, I deliberately worded the sentence above like that for emphasis.)**

 **I originally wanted this to be longer, but I think that it said enough.**

 **Panzer vor!**

 **Next chapter? One big battle, the first real battle between the Norans and the Cratonians!**


	12. Chapter 12: The Battle of Dry Grass I

**Finally!**

 **February 25 was the last time I updated this story, and today...it's up!** **I hope this chapter is not rushed.**

 **I took time to make sure that this part of the Battle of Dry Grass (yes, that's the name of this battle) is well-executed. Now that I think about it, I relied mostly on watching video clips. My favorite fantasy novels (such as the Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia) did not really flesh out the battle scenes en masse; the movie versions added a lot.**

 **For example, the movie version of the Battle of the Five Armies featured Dwarves creating a wall, and the Elves jumping up from there into the Orc horde in an awesome fashion, something that was NOT in the original Hobbit novel.**

 **Same thing for the Chronicles of Narnia: in the movie version, the makers added griffins (which were not in the original novel), which acted as flying assault units, throwing down stones like bombs.**

 **These are something to consider, as I made this battle, which is actually two-part.**

 **So then, enjoy!**

 **Reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated, as this is my first time ever trying to make an epic battle scene.**

* * *

 **Girls und Krieg**

 **Chapter 12: Battle of Dry Grass I**

"Well," he admitted. "This is no San Gloria!"

Duke Basil of the Cratonic Empire gawked. He had seen the San Glorian forces, and he thought that all of these armies of these "Amazons" were just like that of San Gloria: disciplined, regimented, and odd. Indeed, he was one of the few generals who singlehandedly defeated the San Glorians at the Second Battle of Lake Colochad and the Battle of Little Bison Run. Hence, he had a first-person encounter with these strange new race through those battles.

Although they were the only major victories of the Cratonian forces right now, they were integral in the eventual defeat of the larger San Glorian forces. In the Battles of Lake Colochad (named after the Lake Megachad of ancient Africa), two of the three battles were won by the San Glorians, who used their superb Roman-ish formations to easily decimate the Cratonic forces (it helped that an average Senshazon is far stronger than a Human). However, in the Second Battle of Lake Colochad, the Cratonians managed to capture Orange Pekoe, causing chaos among the forces of San Gloria in that area. Indeed, Darjeeling personally sent her forces en masse into the Cratonic forces, despite knowing that she would face heavy losses. She managed to save Pekoe, but not before her side lost over 90% of infantry units. In the Battle of Little Bison Run, however, both girls got captured, forcing Darjeeling to tell her forces to retreat to the safety of the remaining Virago.

Of course, Darjeeling and Orange Pekoe both knew this as well, but forgot to tell their Noran friends until now.

"Miho-san," Darjeeling said.

"Ha-hai?" she asked, blinking back into reality.

"We will tell you our stories," Darjeeling said. "If you defeat these guys for us."

Miho blinked, then nodded, and turned to look at the army again.

"And one more thing," Darjeeling said.

"Huh?"

"You better defeat two of the guys," she said in a dark tone. "Then, your fight will go easy."

"Basil and somebody else?"

She shook her head.

"Two commanders under his wing," Darjeeling said, and started to explain...

* * *

Basil himself also blinked. He did not realize that the Noran army was a whole new creature from the San Glorian force. **For one thing, the soldiers of NOR wore all kinds of uniforms, armor sets, and even dresses, so that it looked more like a crowd of trick-or-treaters during the Halloween, rather than an actual army.**

"What is this army?!" Basil asked loudly.

His soldiers were also confused. Like Basil, they realized that the army was nothing like what they expected. Some Norans wore actual military outfits, while others wore casual dresses; some even wore bikinis! The sight of such...interesting choice in dress was both diverse and bizarre, as it was nothing like the San Glorians.

The San Glorian forces that they fought were composed mostly of soldiers clad in Redcoat armor, so that they looked like a red tide, except for green-clad soldiers on the outer wings and in the rearguard. Plus, they had a more regimented appearance, so that the Cratonians viewed them as a worthy army. Even the tanks and other vehicles were lined up, so that they looked like walls after walls of steel.

The Noran army was nothing like this. The infantry units wore all kinds of outfits. Even the vanguard units, such as the Noran defenders, wielded a variety of shields for defense. Even the average soldier of the Cratonian army could tell that no two shields looked exactly alike; same applied to the soldiers. They also looked like a horde, as even Basil could tell that the regiments were composed of various lightly armored, well-armored, and heavily armored infantry units of all kinds. Even the tanks were scattered all around; only some regiments on the fringes were clearly in order.

"Is this an army?!" Basil gawked.

"I think it's a simple horde," said a man with a long beard, who stood on the right side of Basil.

 **Archmage Juan** was the leader of the entire faction of magical units in the army. Hence, he is more or less a Sun Templar, one of the strongest mages, because he could control earth, water, fire, and air, something that most mages cannot in the CE, the Cratonic Empire.

"But even chaos has a chance to rule," said another voice, who came right next to Juan, shoving him aside. Juan growled.

 **Trophy Master Gines** was a different creature from Juan. Unlike him, he was a Trophy Hunter. Although they were technically magical infantry units, most came from gun mages, who are famous for channeling magic through special guns. Hence, like Senshazons, they can replenish bullets and missiles even in battle. In other words, gun mages were famous users of magical bullets, but the superior ones were the Trophy Hunters, who were even more feared, because they loved to take body parts of their enemies as trophies. However, this behavior disturbed many soldiers, so that only those who were truly Trophy Hunters had the right (and privilege) to do so.

Even worse, some of them discovered that the heads of Senshazons did not rot very fast or horribly; they lasted for days without losing their appeal. Gines wore a necklace of Senshazon heads.

"You've kept those heads for weeks," Juan growled. "Did you use magic on them?"

"No," Gines grunted, smiling at his trophies. He lifted up a head, which had golden twintails and huge, blue eyes, which did not blink.

"Will you stop staring at them?" Juan growled again. "It's getting on my nerves."

"You know they're not humans," Gines replied.

"I know," Juan said. "But seeing them NOT rot for this long is also disturbing."

"Generals," Basil growled, silencing both men. "Focus on the army. What is this?!"

They all looked.

"I cannot tell which is which," Basil admitted. "In the name of our Craton, who the **** are these amazons?"

"All we know," Juan said. "Is that they are technically the same as the San Glorian army we've fought, except less civilized."

"But more diverse than San Glorians," Gines said. He looked at his trophies, then at the army far away.

He smiled.

"This will be an interesting fight," he remarked cunningly.

"And I can simply decimate them with my magic," Juan said, raising his hands, as streams of colorful energy started to flow around him...

* * *

"I've always enjoyed your battles," Darjeeling said with a smile. "What is your plan?"

"You know me," Miho said.

Darjeeling smiled, still sipping her herbal tea. Miho and her Virago teams were getting their tanks, and their formations, ready. Neither side had moved at the moment, as both were trying to mobilize for the best positions possible in only a few minutes. Miho's surveillance teams (which doubled as reconnaissance and radar teams) notified her that there was no way for the enemies to escape, as the only exits were two gaps in the mountains behind them, and both were visible enough to see anyone who tried to escape. Plus, the fog had totally subsided, so that neither side could go for a real sneak attack.

Darjeeling sighed, as she surveyed the horizon.

"All is fair in love and war," she replied. "And no need to tell; let us watch and see."

Orange Pekoe opened her mouth, then closed it. She was surprised at her leader's curt words, as normally Darjeeling would let her finish where the quote came from.

"I want to see him crushed," Darjeeling casually replied.

"Ah," Pekoe noted, and watched.

"Miho-san," Darjeeling said.

"Hai?"

"Do you know what is this army?"

"No."

Darjeeling smiled.

"I will show you more on your interface," she replied. "Just go and do your battle."

Miho nodded, then raised her hand.

* * *

"Panzer vor!"

Miho gave the signal, and the first wave started to march, or more like stampede. She stood on top of her turret, the entire hologram-like interface in front of her. She looked at the plain, then at the interface. Darjeeling's face appeared on the right side of the screen.

 _"You better lead the first charge,"_ Darjeeling spoke _. "That way, it tricks the enemies into thinking that you're just a horde. But I already guess that you intend to do that, right?"_

"Yes," Miho said.

Over 25,000 Senshazons charged in as infantry units. All types of infantry units were present in the first formation: **the horde formation.** It was rushing in without any appearance of regimentation. Some simply ran on the ground, such as the Rushers and the Strikers. Others, such as the Gunners and Magical Girl Warriors, went tank desant, riding on tanks that came with the horde formation.

The Anglerfish Team also joined the horde, leading it with the Turtle Team and the Duck Team behind. All other Virago teams stayed behind, waiting for orders.

Besides the three Virago tanks, other tanks and military vehicles also followed with the horde formation. Hundreds of tanks rumbled in: the **Raio Mk.3** , the **Merkava Arukah Mk.3** (as you see, the Norans upgraded their tank, so that some tanks had their names changed), the **Xabra Mk.3** , the **Oplot-Z** , the **Togra Mk.4** , and the **Reapard Mk.2** were the only main battle tanks present. All four types of light tanks also followed, but only the **Revolant** and the **Golem** **Mk.2** followed as heavy tanks.

Hundreds of artillery units also joined in. The **Zonar** , the **Boxer** **SPG** **Mk.2** , the **Sholef Gadol Mk.3** (all equipped with shields on their guns), the **King** **Primus** , the **G-Rex Rhino** , and the **Sygor** all rumbled in. Behind the artilleries, the **Robin Jupiter** , the **Heroic Eitan** , the **Splitter** , the **K-31 NOR** , the **Namer** **Gunner** , the **Minotaur** , the **Boxer NOR** (various APCs, IFVs, and FSVs), the **Megapode** (same as Boxer NOR), the **King Lynx** (as IFVs and SPGs), and all **Minku** types flooded in.

(See "GuK Documentary" for more details.)

 _"Normally,"_ Darjeeling's voice echoed. _"The Cratonians will send spies to check the enemies, just like any good warring faction. You made a smart decision, forcing both sides to just confront head-on. That way, you take away an important advantage from them. Plus, since they never met you before, that also hinders them."_

Miho continued to listen, as her forces soon met about a third way through the vast plain. The enemies were closer now, allowing her to see them more.

As suspected, the sudden horde charge compelled the Cratonians to form a defensive line.

 _"If they rush into you,"_ Darjeeling said. _"They are just cannon fodder units, but some are worse than others, as in that they are more dangerous. Most are your standard medieval-style soldiers and militia, but just be careful of the better armed ones. For the skirmishers, be careful with the Flagellants and Fanatic Mages. They have no sense of fear."_

"Flagellants and Fanatic Mages?" Miho asked.

 _"They look like savage hermits on steroids,"_ she replied curtly. _"They're...worse than cockroaches."_

She was right.

A few of the skirmishers suddenly appeared, waving their weapons wildly.

"AUGAHEHAGHA!" they screamed in what sounded like horrible profanity, as they charged towards the girls.

"Yikes!" a few girls screamed, more in shock than in horror, as these men swinged their flails savagely. The first few Senshazons who encountered them then drew their swords or guns, and fought.

However, although the Senshazons were better armed and armored, the Flagellants were incredible. They beat or slashed themselves, before swinging their weapons wildly at the Senshazons. They wore only strips of clothing, but their faces were etched with wild fanaticism. One of them even smashed the skull of a Senshazon, causing her to fall down, and he went on a complete overkill, smashing her skull repeatedly with his mace. Fortunately, the Senshazons quickly adapted, and easily struck down the unarmored skirmishers.

Then, the Fanatic Mages appeared. They were identical to the Flagellants, except that they wore more religious garbs, and raised their staves, summoning balls of energy that ricocheted like bullets, hitting some Senshazons and then others. Once again, they wore no armor, so the ranged units, such as Archers, easily neutralized the threats.

" _Skirmishers_?" Darjeeling asked over the interface.

Miho nodded.

" _A typical way of using cannon fodder_ ," she replied.

Miho watched halfway exposed, as she surveyed the surroundings. The soft, rolling hills and plains flowed with lush grasses. Almost all animals had fled minutes before, but a few insects scattered about. The Noran horde formation continued to run unhindered, while most of the strange men were taken down.

"Oh," Miho noted. "They're not firing their artilleries?"

 _"If they don't,"_ Darjeeling said _. "Remember that they have a limited ammo. We Senshazons can magically regenerate our shells, so the logistics for ammo are not a problem at all. Apparently, Basil and his forces have not gotten their supplies yet."_

"Good thing," Miho said, as she gulped.

She had fought against hordes of Orcs and Goblins, who loved to rush and make chaos. However, these guys were different.

They were Humans.

They did not wield big weapons.

They cried, rather than roared or screeched.

However, they had glowing tattoos (Darjeeling said that some wore them, in order to enhance themselves), but that was not what caught her attention.

"Watch out!" Miho commanded. "Stop!"

Mako immediately stopped, just as a blast of blue energy missed the Crucigon by a few meters. In front of the tank, a tower of icy spikes formed.

"Magic attacks already?!" Saori screamed.

 _"Normally,"_ Darjeeling said calmly _. "They won't use their magical attacks until the battle turns one way or the other. However, if they start attacking, then probably they're getting desperate."_

"We almost got struck by an attack that created a tall tower of spiky ice," Miho replied.

" _A typical-wait, a tower of icy spikes?_ " Darjeeling asked, her voice changed.

Miho nodded.

" _Juan must be a little desperate to cast such a strong spell that soon_ ," Darjeeling said. " _Just go and take down Juan, Gines, and their magical units. That will make the battle a lot easier_."

More blasts of energy fell into the horde, decimating certain girls with ease.

"Keep charging in!" Miho called over the interface, as a series of magical blasts continued to bombard the first wave. They rained down like artillery shells, except that they were clearly visible, with trails of energy behind.

" _That is one big issue with magical attacks_ ," Darjeeling admitted. " _They are flashy and easily seen. In movies, they are cool_."

"But in real life," Miho spoke, as more blasts fell. "They are actually bad."

Miho then touched a button on her interface, and a series of equipment appeared. Surveillance and reconnaissance tools, such as radar and thermal image cameras came out of the turret. Suddenly, a blast of energy shot at Miho, but she ducked her head just in case, as it wheezed by.

"Be careful!" Saori spoke. "Make sure to activate your helmet!"

"OK!" Miho replied, as she touched a button on her tiara-like headwear. It then formed a series of armor plates, which became an actual helmet. She continued to watch from her turret.

" _Just stay alive please_ ," Darjeeling said, whose face now appeared in the interface in the helmet-mounted display.

"I will," Miho replied. "What can happen?"

"Anything can happen," Darjeeling said.

BOOM!

"Confirmed," Miho said, as more blasts of energy continued to fall.

She still shuddered a little, as the hundreds of girls who fell were clone-girls, who did not mind dying, but Miho internally trembled at what would have happened if they were real girls.

 _Better not think about that,_ she thought. _Let's focus on the battle._

"I understand," Darjeeling said. "It's strange to realize that we can use clone-girls as cannon fodder, but if that's what they are, we take advantage."

"Although it does not traumatize me," Miho replied. "It sure is a scary thought."

Mako then drove the tank a little, in order to position it closer to the pillar of ice.

"Keep the tank behind the pillar of ice," Miho commanded, and Mako obeyed. Miho then watched around her.

Infantry and mechanical units flooded the fields, as the bombardments continued. Some got burned beyond recognition, while others got frozen solid. Some appeared electrocuted, while others seemed to have asphyxiated. By contrast, the vehicles got hit hard, but drones immediately came out of those hit, fixing the damage as soon as possible. Unlike Human vehicles, Senshazon vehicles came equipped with bio-repair drones, which repaired the vehicles and even healed nearby injured girls.

(See "GuK Documentary.")

Still, seeing all those girls injured and dead...still disturbed Miho and her friends, who still remembered being Humans. Fortunately, they were immune to being traumatized, but they could still feel the "what if" of the horrors of war.

"I am surprised," Hana said, looking through her gunner system. "That we are not really disturbed by these wars. I have read that most soldiers leave traumatized or shell-shocked. But we are not affected."

"That's because we're not Humans anymore," Mako said. "We are immune to such traumas. Plus, we are using clone-girls, who are not really 'girls' yet. More like living puppets..."

Everybody shivered.

"More like ultra-innocent, reckless youths," Saori clarified, and the others nodded in agreement. "Who have this magical aura that prevents us from being traumatized."

"Sounds like something from a fictional story," Mako said.

 **"Well," Saori said. "Aren't we in a fictional-turned real world called Alterra? None of us expected this!"**

"Get ready," Miho said. "I see more."

Eventually, they saw them:

The main force, composed of medium and heavy infantry units, was now visible.

" _The main force is behind the skirmishers or light infantry units_ ," Darjeeling said. " _Once they see you, they will send the light soldiers first. Then, the medium ones slowly march forward. Heavy ones vary; some charge, while others stay behind. The magic users, those who will bombard you all, are behind. You will have to deal with them, their artilleries, and other machines_."

"Machines?" Miho asked.

Darjeeling suddenly lowered her gaze, then growled.

" _My apology_ ," she admitted darkly. " _The Cratonians are notorious for one thing, which is why I want you all to win this, so that they cannot loot your tech_."

"Why?" Miho asked.

" _They actually like to steal our technologies_ ," she said.

BOOM!

"Incoming!" a few soldiers roared, as actual shells finally fell. Miho saw them before they even landed.

"Not very good shells," she bluntly admitted.

They did create impacts, but of the primitive rifled breeched loading kind. Some of the slimmer girls easily got killed off, but the more robust girls managed to hold their grounds.

"You know," Mako said. "I actually was expecting to see body parts flying around."

"That's Hollywood!" Saori groaned. "In movies, they do that to look cool, not to be actually realistic!"

"Sometimes they do," Miho said, as a blast of magical energy threw a few girls into the air. Some fell down, while others managed to land on their feet.

 _"Most of them shells are from horkans,"_ Darjeeling answered. _"Recently, they ran out of ammo for the larger, stronger artilleries, so then you should not have a problem. Still, be careful. Anyway, I have been troubled over one thing."_

 _"What is it?"_ Miho asked.

 _"I have not seen any cavalry units,"_ Darjeeling replied, before a shell fell just meters to the left of the Crucigon.

"Cavalry?"

"I am not sure why," Darjeeling said, but Miho dodged a horkan shell.

"Gotta go!" Miho called, and concentrated more on the battle.

* * *

The Norans soon converged closer, and even more shots bombarded down.

"Hold your fire," Miho commanded through her interface. "And..."

BOOM!

"Fire!" Miho shouted, as a single blast almost struck her tank.

Despite looking like a mindless horde, both the infantry and the mechanical units fired together. A colossal barrage of bullets, shells, and missiles fell down from the side of the Norans. Soldiers, tanks, artilleries, and various vehicles fired their missiles, and a huge chunk of the Cratonian military forces got decimated.

"MWs!" Miho called over her helmet. "Activate the gate!"

Two of the Magical Witches obeyed, and rode on the back of the Crucigon. They were dressed rather extravagantly, apparently based on the Magical Girl shows of Japan. One wore red with white lines, while the other wore blue with golden lines. Then, the two girls raised their hands, and a small orb of energy started to appear behind the Crucigon.

Meanwhile, some of the infantry girls started to show their true colors. Defenders lined up in formation, raising their giant but portable cannons, and fired. Unlike Human portable guns, Senshazon guns were anime-sized, and they hit very hard.

"AUUUGGHHHH!" various voices exploded in the distance.

"Music to my ears," Mako said nonchalantly.

"Oh boy!" Yukari squealed. "Some of our Defenders wield Gatling guns, while others simply fire portable howitzer-guns! Those 90-mm and 105-mm shells sure hit hard!"

"Please calm down," Miho said, causing her to deflate. **"We are in a real war, not a Senshadou match."**

While they were charging, various Rushers, Slayers, and Magical Girl Warriors suddenly sped up, running faster than humanly possible. They then rampaged through the skirmishers and the main infantry lines, punching, smashing, and slashing with their own weapons respectively. The MGWs then channeled their magical swords, and struck down with thunderous blows. However, that was not the best part; the gunners raised their impossibly-sized weapons.

"What kind of guns are they?!" a few male voices screamed in horror, as the gunners bombarded them with volleys of fire from guns big enough to be on tanks.

The Turtle, Duck, Anteater, and Landsair teams fired their own shells. A multitude of various shells, from 165-mm to 300-mm, bombarded the enemies in retaliation. Although both sides fielded shells of similar size, the Senshazon ones were more advanced, with magical explosives that detonated and spread much damage. By contrast, the Human shells were primitive and designed more to hit, rather than to explode, and the mages were the ones who cast explosive spells.

The other tanks also fired. Most fired 155-mm shells, which still caused quite some damage. 140-mm shells, 195-mm shells, and 210-mm shells from SPGs reigned down upon the enemies.

Meanwhile, the lighter units, such as the Strikers, managed to infiltrate the main forces.

"The enemies have been breached!" Miho heard one of the voices in the distance, which belonged to a Cratonic soldier. "Fall back to a safer-"

BOOM!

The Anglerfish Team gawked, as a single explosion erupted from the middle of the infantry formation right in front of them.

"Did they..." Saori whispered.

"Oh zon," Hana gasped.

"They just killed their own guys?!" Yukari screamed.

When some of the Strikers managed to pass through lines after lines of soldiers, the artillery fire, both magical and non-magical, fell upon the first line formation. While some of the soldiers panicked and ran out of the way, some of them stayed put, trying to stay stoic.

"Deliberate friendly fire," Miho said calmly. "A mark of either risky endeavor, or plain stupidity."

"We vouch for the latter," Hana said, and others nodded.

She was right. Some of the Strikers fell back, in order to regroup. Others, however, took advantage of the mayhem to infiltrate into other regiments, so that the barrage of fire landed on them as well.

"At this rate," Hana said. "They're going to lose."

Miho saw the entirety of the Cratonic army, and it was not as big as she thought. Even more importantly, the entire army was in the plains, far away from the strange mountains behind them.

"Not good for them," Miho said. "As unlike them, we can simply replenish our forces."

Some of the APCs and IFVs continued to move. While moving, they opened up their hatches, and dozens of soldiers from each carrier came out.

"Where are they coming from?!" some of the Cratonians screamed.

Some of the troop carriers stopped, then unloaded even more. In fact, after unloading, they closed their hatches, and after a few seconds, reopened to flood even more.

"Unlike Human vehicles," Miho said. "Ours can somehow duplicate soldiers. It's integral to overwhelming our forces, most of whom cannot replenish fast."

"LOOK OUT!" a voice suddenly roared.

Miho looked up, as one particularly sinister blast of energy, dark and black, homed in upon the Crucigon.

"Looks like our cover's blown," Miho admitted. "Gate open."

The two Magical Witches behind nodded, and opened up the portal.

"Move back!" Miho said to Mako, who obeyed without question. The giant tank roared to a halt, then sped into the portal, seconds before the impact. The ethermages closed it, just as the impact landed, and a multitude of girls got obliterated.

* * *

"You missed them!"

Juan simply shrugged, as his blast of energy decimated the two ethermages and a group of soldiers around where the Crucigon was. He and his soldiers apparently guessed correctly that the Crucigon was one of the main leaders. Its size, color scheme, and the fact that a group of soldiers surrounded it a lot more than the other tanks suggested. However, the mages were too busy with casting their spells to really notice, as the Senshazons were swarming in with ease.

"These girls are more like Ratmen!" Gines said, spitting onto the ground. "Now we can see why it was not easy to defeat the San Glorians."

"But those Red-coated girls are much more disciplined," Juan said. "At least these new girls are more...interesting."

"Take note of that weird horkan," Basil said, smoking a cigar. "We need to check that...odd thing."

"The pink-and-blue horkan?" Gines asked.

"Yes," Basil said. "That odd horkan must be special. Plus, it just disappeared into a magical portal, so that horkan is definitely special."

"But we just noticed that," Juan said. "And we have company."

The three men watched, as their horkans and other artilleries started to bombard their own regiments. In Cratonic military classes, many generals were taught to be wary of secretive agents, who frequently infiltrated the ranks. Sure, they did not want to kill their own soldiers, but it was better to prevent secret infiltration, rather than to let the enemies get in.

"We should have brought more soldiers," Juan said. "That way, we can better hold them off until they come."

Suddenly, something glowed from his bag.

"Ah," Juan said, taking something out of it. "They're coming."

The green orb glowed brightly, and a screen formed. The face of a young man appeared, apparently riding on something, because his face kept going up and down.

"We are coming!" the man replied. "Keep the women at bay while we are almost there!"

"You mean the amazons?" Basil asked, a little haughtily.

"Whatever they are!" the man in the orb replied. "But we are coming fast!"

"Just come, OK?" Gines grunted, preparing his guns. "We need backup ASAP."

BOOM!

"Those amazons sure have incredible weapons," Juan noted. "But they appear stronger than that of San Glorians."

"Stronger or not," Basil said, signaling to his men. "Get ready to fight for the Craton!"

"Now you're coming to fight?" Juan asked, as he waved his hands again. "I commanded my men to cast bombardments minutes ago."

"We Trophy Hunters take time," Gines said, snapping one of his pistols in place. "And now, we go."

* * *

"I am not too surprised that you all came back," Darjeeling said, as the Crucigon rumbled out of the portal, which disappeared after they came out. Miho jumped out, and then ran towards Darjeeling, who was still recovering.

In Senshazonian society, it was not wrong or legal for Virago leaders to NOT charge with the vanguards head-on. However, it was seen as a noble endeavor, and it boosted the morale. However, this meant that if the Virago died in battle, then many Senshazons would suffer massive attrition. Plus, Miho wanted to do this, then leave the battlefield soon, in order to talk with Darjeeling more directly. Miho preferred to talk to people face-to-face, especially with someone she had not seen in years.

"I am still glad to see you all alive," Miho said. Meanwhile, other Norans tended to the tank, and her teammates went about their own businesses. Saori went to checking the communications systems, while Hana went to the artillery regiments. Yukari checked the tank regiments, but Mako went to a special radar system, which held a colossal disc, which tracked down targets around an area.

"Darjeeling-san," Miho said, as she sat down next to Darjeeling. "I want to ask you this: how did you exactly lose the fight, despite having troop carriers like us?"

Darjeeling sighed.

"They somehow deactivated them," she replied.

Miho gasped.

"I don't know how," Darjeeling said. "But one of the mages cast some very sinister spell, which negated most of our troop carriers' magic. However, in return, it killed off the mages who did so, and the cursed vehicles also had some odd taint on them. Hence, the vehicle crews deliberately sacrificed themselves, and it turned out that in return for being cursed, they emitted a very dangerous type of explosions."

"Kamikaze?" Yukari whispered, as she and others listened to her from outside of their tank.

Darjeeling nodded.

"Then it looks like we'll have to send our ambushers soon," Miho said, standing up and activating her interface. "Horde formation, move out and let the rest deal with them. Fall back, but let the main formation move forward! Outer wings! Move! Ambushers! Move!"

The rest of the formations commenced their moves. Miho, her team, and Darjeeling's group were centered on top of a hill, which overlooked the battlefield. In front, the horde formation was now running back, while a clearly regimented formation moved forward. This formation parted into three groups, so that the surviving horde could flow through. The outer wings of the force then went forward, clearly visible to the enemies.

"Double envelopment," Darjeeling said, watching it all unfold. "Except deliberate to trick them. They act as a wall to hide the ambushers, since this is an open field. Plus, they allow the ambushers to move into the surrounding forests, or what few trees they have. Then, they're going to keep cloning the soldiers, and then everything else is obvious."

"A clearly Noran technique," Pekoe said. "All thanks to their magic, technology, and the great direction of Nishizumi-sensei."

"Pl-please," Miho said, blushing. "We're just friends here!"

"I am amazed at how mature we all have grown," Darjeeling said.

"To us?" Orange Pekoe asked.

"To all of us," Darjeeling replied. "Miho-san, remember when we all first started?"

Miho nodded.

"We've come a long way," she admitted. "From settling down, to fulfilling the wishes of the spirits of the Elves, the Dwarves, the noble Orcs, and the good Goblins, and now we're fighting a war like real women."

Darjeeling giggled, and Miho smiled.

"How are you doing?" Miho asked.

"We're recovering very well," Darjeeling said, showing her wounds, which were virtually gone. "Normally, such wounds take another day to heal, but you guys use a nuclear reactor ambulance? That's odd, but very effective."

"But not safe or popular for us San Glorians," Pekoe said. "But the use of a reactor for an ambulance is clever, but it's too dangerous."

"But now we have a battle to deal with," Darjeeling admitted. "And I think you will have to concentrate."

Miho then turned around.

The regimented main formation was now marching towards the Cratonic force, which then regrouped to charge towards it. It now looked like a battle scene, with two sides converging on each other. The Norans' real main formation was lined nicely. Defenders and heavily armed units stood as vanguards. Immediately behind were Impalers, who wielded ultra-long spears, which doubled as rifles. Behind still were lines of ranged units, such as troopers. Lines of tanks and artilleries rumbled from behind.

Both continued to bombard each other with their own artilleries, with the Norans having a lot more. As they were charging, the outer wings of the formation continued to expand, so that the Cratonians in front could not really see the ambushers.

While the outer wings were essentially the same as the main formation, the ambushers were different. They mostly consisted of Hashashin Mk.2, Togra Mk.4, Reapard Mk.2, Tempest, and Tarpan tanks, with Boxer SPG Mk.2 and G-Rex Rhino as artilleries. With them were a huge number of Roughnecks, which rumbled with the ambush regiments.

"Roughnecks," Darjeeling noted. "Weren't they a former IMV of yours?"

"Yes," Miho said. "They are adapted from RG-35 and Lazar II. They resemble the former, but have traits of both. The Roughneck is odd in that a weird type of magic allows it to transform its first axle into a pair of claws. We find out that they make for great diggers, so we have them move to secure locations, dig in, and then spawn soldiers, who will exit through the openings in the ceiling."

"It sounds like some weird game I saw," Pekoe noted. "Ah, I remember that it's a popular game in South Korea, something with units that can spawn minions like a walking hive."

(Guess which game that is? Hint: it is a game from the Blizzard Entertainment.)

"A great use of different abilities of each vehicle," Darjeeling said.

 **"We're still learning," Miho said. "Just as we do now."**

"Lots of stabbing, crushing, and good old melee combat," Darjeeling suddenly said, keenly interested.

Miho raised an eyebrow, but understood that her friend really wanted this fight to go well for them.

"They treated you badly?" Miho asked, even though she already knew the answer; she wanted to make sure.

"Yes," Darjeeling replied. "At least they did not...do some horrible things and all."

Miho nodded. She and her Virago knew what they knew: the atrocities of WWII.

"But I am glad that you are alive," Miho said. "And virgin."

"Technically," Darjeeling said. "We can only survive as virgins, you know?"

Miho nodded. Unlike Humans, who could survive certain traumatic events (but scarred for life), Senshazons were vulnerable. This was why Darjeeling and Pekoe's abduction shocked her friends. If the Humans dared to do something...awful to them, then they could die.

"I still remember the Fall of Rouzia," Miho said in a whisper.

Darjeeling, Pekoe, and Miho all sighed. The Republic of Rouzia was one of the Senshazon factions, stemming from the Count High School. It was a small state, but it became famous, because all of its Virago were brutally murdered under mysterious circumstances. Apparently, they invited a few foreigners into their secret base, and then they died. The entire state then degenerated, as the Senshazons needed the Virago in order to stay alive. Some of them migrated quickly into other factions, but most did not make it. All they knew was that the Rouzians' Virago girls were...found in a way that only an M-rated story could describe.

"Poor Rouzia," Pekoe said with a sigh. "It was small but well-mannered. To see them all suffer like that...was horrible."

"That's one reason why most of us," Darjeeling said. "No longer accept foreigners, unless we do intensive background checks, monitor them, and perform other security measures until we can trust them."

"But what about the men of that mercenary company?" Pekoe asked. "You all told some bits and pieces about them."

"We can discuss that later," Darjeeling said, as more voices echoed over Miho's headgear. "Miho-san needs to concentrate."

Miho then checked her interface. Apparently, the ambushers set up their locations, ready to deploy. The outer wings then converged, and with the main formation, slammed into the Cratonic forces. Miho winced, as she could vaguely see the carnage. However, it was clearly in favor of the Norans.

"Most are living," Darjeeling said. "Some are automata."

"Automata?"

"Their word for robots," Darjeeling explained. "Most are robotic peasants, designed to fight but mostly to work. Some are real soldiers."

"So most of the main infantry units," Miho said. "Are in the middle. And I see the heavy ones, and they are mixed with the light infantry units."

Darjeeling nodded.

"All of the main magical users are at the back," Darjeeling said. "With their machines of war, such as horkans, mechs, and megamata."

"Huh?" Miho asked.

"Horkans are their tanks," Darjeeling said with a small growl. "They stole our museum specimens, and then reverse-engineered them. Worse, they demolished our original specimens. Mechs are obvious, those walking robots. Megamata are those giant-looking creatures in armor. They are really giant suits of armor, enchanted with magic and technology

"They put their tanks and artilleries in the back," Miho noted. Although she was not alarmed, she could understand Darjeeling's anger.

What Darjeeling talked about was that the San Gloria had one of the largest, most prestigious museums that showcased the old tanks of WWII and of Senshadou matches. Unfortunately, from what little Miho gleaned (which was actually enough), some Cratonic spies managed to not only infiltrate, but also run way with the tanks! Once again, the spies cast some weird spells, which hid them from detection, but which killed them afterwards.

"How do you know so much about this?" Miho asked.

"Remember that we're captured," Darjeeling said. "And many of the captors got drunk, and spilled the beans about it. That's one great thing about drinking: we cannot get drunk, unlike them."

Miho nodded. One of the best perks of being a Senshazon was immunity to many physical and mental conditions, which included drunkenness.

"I honestly think that this guy is a jerk," Darjeeling added. "We actually met some generals, and he's a little more reckless."

"Good thing," Miho said. "And I see more bombardment, but more importantly, I can see only two exits from their side. This means that if we can block those, then they are stuck."

Darjeeling smiled.

"I know I can trust you," she replied. "I will let you deal with the rest. CC."

Miho giggled. The "CC" was basically the nickname for the Noran military strategy: **Controlled Chaos**. As seen above, the Norans liked to appear disorganized, but in reality were well-disciplined. It was a compromise between the desire to regimentalize the army, and the desire to maintain the individual nature of the Norans. It worked.

"CC," Darjeeling said again, sipping her herbal tea. "Now, what was the maxim to connect with that one?"

"I am sorry to say," Pekoe replied. "But I have none."

"That's alright," Darjeeling said, giggling. "We are no longer humans after all. But we have standards. Plus, each of our factions is distinct, and the Norans are the Rainbow Army."

The **Rainbow Army** was another nickname. Like other nicknames, they varied by culture, but the Norans were truly colorful.

"We're winning this fight," Miho said. "Normally, I don't really say it until I am sure, but this looks promising."

"Good," Darjeeling said. "And make sure to try and get Juan and Gines. Both are dangerous."

"What about Basil?" Miho asked.

"I don't really think that he's that honorable," Darjeeling admitted. "His vice-commanders are more capable than he is."

The girls suddenly heard a very loud explosion, and they looked.

"They definitely have reached their limit," Darjeeling said calmly, as what looked almost like a nuclear cloud formed. "You did a great job at pressuring the enemies. They now are resorting to their best weapons."

"Which are?" Miho asked.

"Some magical shrines," Darjeeling explained. "One of them looks like a series of lenses, put together to look like a laser cannon; that is called the Destruction shrine, because they kill like sniper shots. Before escaping, we sabotaged it, in order to make it easier for you all. The other looks like a giant solar system, which rotates and creates massive spells."

BOOM!

"Which come from them," Miho confirmed. "The explosions are distinctive. Those cast by mages are direct and leave trails of energy, while those cast by the magical shrines look more like storms."

"They are called the Aurastorm shrines," Pekoe said. "We overheard the enemies remark on them. Apparently, they not only cast spells, but also boost the soldiers and other units. We could not sabotage them, but they had to fix them beforehand."

"But they don't have any of the big units you told me," Miho said. "The megamata, the mechs, and some horkans; they don't seem to have them all."

Darjeeling frowned.

"Then something's up," she admitted.

"We're ready to ambush," a voice echoed from Miho's interface.

Miho smiled.

"Go!"

Eventually, the ambushers came out of the woods, and slammed into the enemies. All of the units hid in bushes and other vegetation, while the Roughnecks were in the ground, exposed only by their tops. Hatches opened up, as soldiers "spawned" out of them, and then they all charged in, striking the enemies from the sides and flanks.

"How did they?!" multiple men roared, as they did not expect the girls to ambush from the nearby bushes.

In focusing on the outer wings of the Noran army, the Cratonic soldiers failed to notice that it was to distract them; the real envelopment began with the ambushers. Then, some of the ambushers traveled further around, blocking the exits.

"Excellent," Darjeeling said, as she sipped her tea, and stood up confidently. "This is finally good."

"Where are the generals?" Miho asked.

"They like to blend in," Darjeeling replied. "At this rate, some will surrender, but most will fight, as they view us as 'mutants' or something."

"We've neutralized most of the casters," a voice rang out from Miho's headgear. "They were tough, but fragile once we got close enough."

"Seen any generals?" Miho asked.

"We see three particularly strong ones," the voice answered. "One looks like the leader, due to his long cape and ornate armor. The other is clearly a super-strong mage, and the last is freaky; he's wearing heads of our comrades."

All who heard that shivered.

"Trophy hunters," Darjeeling replied. "I forgot to tell you; they are scary. They like to carry heads of their prey as trophies. Apparently, our heads retain beauty even after days, so they like to carry them."

"Brrr!" Miho shuddered. "Well, good thing we'll capture them."

"We are converging in!" another voice echoed from the helmet. "We have cornered the three generals, and are trying to attack them!"

"Keep them alive," Miho replied. "We'll have to put them on trial."

Suddenly, a strange blow bellowed from a distance. Almost everybody looked around, but most focused on the left exit of the mountains. Soon, they heard what sounded like thunder of hooves.

"Uh oh," Darjeeling said, visibly sighly. "They're here."

"Who?" Miho asked.

"Sorry about this," Darjeeling said, putting her teacup down. "I am joining, because the cavalry have arrived."

* * *

 **The first part is done. So, I looked at a variety of fantasy battle scenes, and went for something based on the Chronicles of Narnia, especially the final battle in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" version.**

 **Shout-out to Ghost recon- Bryan Uzimaki for his help with the battle scenes.**

 **[The Battle of Little Bison Run is a reference to an American battle. Guess which one?]**

 **[Archmage Juan and Trophy Master Gines are both based on an actual theologian, named Juan Gines de Sepulveda.]**


	13. Chapter 13: Sounds of War and Wails

**The next chapter is finally out!**

 **Once again, I hope this is not too rushed.**

* * *

 **Girls und Krieg**

 **Chapter 13: Sounds of War and Wails**

"We're winning!" various soldiers of the Norans shouted, as they continued to flood the plains.

Miho stood stoic, watching the battle unfold. Indeed, they were winning. Floods after floods of girls slammed into the enemy lines, finally breaking them apart. Tanks and artilleries unleashed their surgical strikes, decimating the enemy war machines with ease. Troop carriers continued to swarm the enemies with their load after load of newly duplicated soldiers. It was going well, maybe too well.

"Good," Darjeeling said, sipping her tea.

"We have bad news!" one of the voices echoed over Miho's interface. "Three of them are particularly difficult to take down!"

Both Miho and Darjeeling looked at each other, and nodded.

"Take them alive," Darjeeling said. "Please, that way, we can talk with them. Or more like: I want to talk to them."

"Keep them alive," Miho commanded into her intercom. "Stun them or anyway to take them alive, on Darjeeling-san's request, please."

"Roger that!" the voice echoed, as Miho could hear background noises of slashing, shooting, and all kinds of stuff that would have traumatized an average Human soldier.

"Wow," Miho said. "I am surprised that I am taking all this well."

Darjeeling smiled.

"I have heard of something called shell shock, combat stress reaction, or post-traumatic stress disorder," she remarked.

* * *

"Why?" Miho asked, concerned as she turned around.

The girls were standing on the same hill, overlooking the battle ahead. It was going well, with the Noran regiments easily decimating the Cratonic force. Even the wizards and mages, who kept trying to cast spells, eventually got cut down, as they had to wait before casting another spell. Taking this advantage, the Noran soldiers soon decimated the guards, leaving the mages vulnerable. Only Basil, Juan, and Gines were putting up a good fight, slaughtering hundreds of soldiers with ease.

"It's hard to believe," Darjeeling said. "That we're immune to such phenomena."

"That's because we're not really humans," Orange Pekoe said, pouring more tea into Darjeeling's cup. "I mean, I am actually glad. If we were humans..."

"Better the devil you know," Darjeeling said, sipping. "Than the devil you don't know."

"Huh?" Pekoe asked.

"Sorry," Darjeeling said. "I think I was unable to think of a quote."

"Actually," Miho said. "I think I get what you're saying."

"Huh?" both San Glorian girls asked, looking at her inquisitively.

"Better to be Senshazon," Miho replied. "Than to be Human and experience the horrors of war."

"You phrased it better than I did," Darjeeling said. "Growth is still a part of us, and you have grown, Miho-san."

"Please," Miho said, blushing. "I am just giving my opinion."

"Those three are hard!" one of the soldiers roared, as Miho's interface lit up.

"Keep them alive though," Miho commanded again, as she saw through the videos.

"We are trying!" the voice echoed, as the background was full of all kinds of sounds. "But those men are good at fighting!"

After a few seconds of managing with the video, Miho managed it to show the battle. Sure enough, Miho saw three men, who were standing their ground really well. Miho could tell that Basil was in the middle, because the other two were actively protecting him. On his left was a very strong mage, who blasted numerous girls with his hands, the blasts of energy vaporizing some, while knocking others back.

On the right side of Basil, a caped man with a cowboy-like hat fired rounds after rounds. His magical bullets hit their targets with ease, as if they were homing. Hundreds of girls fell down, while some exploded. He wore what looked like giant necklaces of...

Miho shivered, as she felt that what she saw was a little...too mature.

"Who are these Basil, Juan, and Gines?" she asked. "They're definitely not normal Human fighters."

"Basil is the main leader in this force," Darjeeling explained. "Apparently, he is a lot smarter than he looks or talks. Although he loves to boast, he is impressive. He has managed to slaughter at least 100 of my girls in one battle."

Miho gasped.

"I don't know how," Darjeeling said. "But by the looks of the corpses, he somehow had some charm, which disrupted the girls' link to us Virago. Apparently, however, he does not know of this, because he boasts about cutting them down, but admitting to not really knowing how."

"By your comments," Miho said. "You seem to both hate and respect him."

"Confirmed," Darjeeling nodded. "I respect him for his military expertise, but his personal behavior is the total opposite."

"And Juan and Gines?"

"Juan is the Archmage," Darjeeling continued. "He can utilize a variety of magic, the type you see in fantasy video games back in our world."

"Ah," Miho said, nodding. "He must be strong, then."

"He's not much better than Basil," Darjeeling admitted, slightly sneering. "As he loves to demean us, more so than even Basil."

"But I actually despise Gines more," Orange Pekoe said, shaking a little. "He...he...I am glad to be Virago."

"Why?" Miho asked, concerned.

"He's good at trying to traumatize us," Darjeeling said. "He's the Trophy Master, a leader of the Trophy Hunters. They are very dangerous gun mages, magicians who utilize guns instead of staves as magical weapons. They also like to take body parts of their quarry as souvenirs. Recently, they love to wear...our girls' heads as trophies."

The girls shivered. Miho now understood what those necklaces were: they were necklaces composed of heads. Although they were hard to see through the smoke, Miho could now tell that they were indeed made of heads.

"I am glad to be Senshazon," Miho said. "That idea alone could have traumatized me."

"And it did not," Pekoe said. "Because we're immune to being traumatized."

"And I apologize," Miho said. "Why are we talking about shell shock, when we are having a battle?"

 **"That's a good question," Darjeeling said. "Sometimes, it's good to think about the pros and cons of being human and non-human. In this case, we Senshazons are technically non-human, and hence are immune to many things that would have killed a human."**

"Such as drunkenness and traumas," Miho concluded, and her friends nodded in agreement.

* * *

"We have finally subdued that mage guy!" a voice roared from Miho's interface, interrupting the conversation. "One of us managed to smash his staff, and that weakened him enough to take him down!"

"Stay cool," Miho said sternly. "Please focus on subduing the others."

"On it!" the voice began. "We are starting-BOOM!"

Miho flinched, as the sound exploded into her ears. Fortunately, the headgear immediately detected the spike, and toned down the sound to make it softer.

"Ah," Darjeeling said, sipping her tea. "Basil and Gines are strong."

"They're quite strong!" another voice echoed, higher-pitched than the previous. "They just blasted us with some kind of energy! Eww, so many body parts."

She said the last casually, as if it was just harmless garbage. Miho, Darjeeling, and Pekoe, however, slightly shook.

"Zon," Miho admitted. "Good thing we're not really affected."

"We are so different after all," Pekoe added.

Miho looked up, and saw the artilleries rain down their shells. Explosions after explosions erupted from the side of the Cratonic forces, finally decimating the few remaining horkans and other artilleries.

"Finally they're gone," Darjeeling said with a clear sigh. "And now...wait."

Darjeeling blinked, getting up to listen. Miho also listened.

 _Bwwwwwwwooooooo..._

Miho blinked, startled by the weird nature of the sound.

"Uh oh," both Darjeeling and Pekoe noted.

"Huh?" Miho asked.

"The cavalry has arrived," Darjeeling said, as a sudden line appeared in the horizon of the mountain exits.

* * *

"Duke Basil!" a young but strong voice roared through an apparently magical horn, his voice resonating throughout the plains. "We have come to your rescue!"

"Finally!" Basil hollered, as he swung his sword, decapitating three Senshazons. "You morons have taken your time-ugh!"

A Senshazon with an over-sized hammer leaped forward, swinging her weapon down. Although it did not strike him, the impact caused a shockwave that knocked him down, thus allowing four girls to finally subdue him.

"Basil!" Gines bellowed, as she shot down more girls. One of them, however, raised her portable cannon, and waited until Gines got distracted by more girls. At a specific point, when he faced three of them, the girl fired her cannon, striking him in the back. He collapsed in agony.

"We've got them all!" one of the girls screamed over the intercom.

"Bring them to us ASAP!" Miho commanded. "And rally up the forces to face the cavalry!"

The girls then saw more of the cavalry, and many gasped.

"On it!" the same voice roared in reply, and Miho saw her and a group of girls dragging the prisoners into a group of tanks, which made a circle. Miho watched, as the girls managed to finally get into the safety of the tank wall.

"So," Miho said, turning to face the video showing the cavalry. "Who are they?"

"That's the cavalry," Darjeeling said, sipping her tea. "To be honest, I am amazed at this."

"We were thinking about adding cavalry units because of them," Pekoe admitted.

The Norans, however, were shocked. Long lines of what looked like elephants appeared from the mountain exits. Miho then activated her surveillance systems, in order to check them more closely.

"They look like oliphaunts," Miho noted.

"They are oakphants, oak mammoths, and walnut mammoths," Darjeeling said. "Poor pachyderms mutated with magic, they are combined with traits of trees they are named after. Don't underestimate them; they are driven by eternal rage."

"Rage?" Miho asked.

"They are controlled by magic," Darjeeling replied. "The oakphants are the dwarf elephants, mutated with oak essence. They are small enough to be ridden like horses, but are big enough to be a threat. The oak mammoths are mammoths mutated with oak essence, rendering them more like tanks. The walnut mammoths are the dinosaur-sized ones; they are the biggest and the strongest."

"Mammoths!" Miho and some girls nearby gasped.

"Yes," Darjeeling said. "I hope to defeat them soon, because they are so hard to kill. Even our tank shells had a hard time penetrating them."

 _Save us..._

Miho blinked.

 _Save us..._

Miho shook her head.

"Huh?" she asked suddenly. Darjeeling and Pekoe looked at her, puzzled.

 _Am I hearing things?_ Miho thought.

 _Save us..._

"Are you alright?" Pekoe finally asked.

"So-sorry," Miho said, shaking her head again. "I-I am not sure whether it's trauma-no, it's not trauma but..."

The other girls were looking at her, puzzled.

"I guess we sometimes see things," Darjeeling said. "I am wondering how and why we see things sometimes."

 _Save us...painful...free us...kill us..._

Miho shook her head, sweating. She then ran up to the Boxer ambulance, where Darjeeling and Pekoe were, and waited.

 _Save us...painful..._

Miho shivered in response. A floating healing drone then came forward, and picked her up. Drones like it were programmed to pick people up, in order to inspect them.

The voice suddenly disappeared.

"Huh?" Miho asked on impulse.

"You alright?" the two San Glorian girls asked, clearly concerned.

Miho looked at the drone, which kept her up. She then looked down at the ground.

She heard nothing.

Then, she gasped.

"Wait a second!" Miho realized. "Drone, please put me down!"

The drone obeyed without question, and Miho felt it.

 _Save us...free us..._

Miho gasped again.

"Mako-san!" Miho said, activating her communications. "What do you know about elephants?"

"What do you mean?" her lazy voice echoed; a distant munching sound betrayed her eating a cake.

"I recall that elephants have a great sense of hearing, right?" Miho asked.

"Right," Mako's voice blared. "But they can hear infrasonic messages, which are transmitted through the ground."

"I knew it," Miho said, now calm. "They're calling me."

"Huh?" the girls around her asked.

"Heh?" Mako's voice echoed, slightly interested.

"They're telling us!" Miho shouted. "They're in pain!"

 _Somebody...help us..._

"Can I talk with them?!" Miho almost screamed, breathing deeply to calm down.

The two San Glorian girls looked at her, very puzzled. A few Norans watched their own leader, clearly confused or troubled.

 _Sorry...we can sense you..._

"Are you alright?!" Miho asked at the ground.

 _Not know...why you...can hear us...but kill us...and you will...be blessed..._

"The pachyderms are in pain!" Miho gasped, then breathed deeply. "Girls, we need to take them fast. The faster, the better."

She activated her headgear's PA system, then boomed into it.

"Norans!" Miho called. "And girls, we need to take them fast! The mutant elephants and mammoths! The faster, the better!"

The Norans obeyed without question, lining up to get ready to face the pachyderm cavalry. Like many Senshazons, they are attuned to the environment, so they keep their vehicles focused on using only bio-fuel and other eco-friendly options. Hence, if they heard even an animal in pain, they get serious. However, they did not know how or why Miho could hear such, and neither did Miho.

 _Thank you...we not know...why you can hear...but be strong...be strong..._

"Be strong," Miho said. "What do you mean?"

 ** _Be strong and courageous...do not be afraid...be strong and very...courageous..._**

"I have no idea," Miho said. "Why I can hear them, but can you help?"

Miho rapidly had her crew get into the Crucigon, and some of the mages started to open up portal gates.

 _Not know why...but please...try and take us down..._

"How?"

 _Just go...and do...what you can..._

"Girls!" Miho commanded, as a series of new regiments got ready to enter the portal gates. "Get ready!"

The gates then fully opened up.

"Panzer vor!"

The regiments entered the gates, and they appeared all the way to where the battlefield was.

* * *

"What happened there?" Pekoe asked.

Darjeeling watched, as Miho rallied her troops to get back into the field of battle.

"What is going on?" Pekoe asked again. "The way Miho-san spoke to the ground...what was that?"

Darjeeling thought. She tried to think about what Miho and Mako said, about elephants "talking" through the ground. She knew that Senshazons could hear better than Humans, but none of them could have communicated with elephants.

 **In fact, Darjeeling recalled that no Senshazon could even hear infrasonic sounds.**

"I think that for some reason," Darjeeling said. "Miho-san can hear the elephants."

"But how?" Pekoe asked. "None of us even heard it, and we have no proof. And more importantly, why now?"

Darjeeling thought.

 **"I think," Darjeeling said. "That this is a shadow of the things to come."**

* * *

Most of the girls were rallying up, forming new regiments. Some were treating the wounded, while some were repairing their vehicles. 27 of them were guarding three men, bound up heavily. Their weapons were in a separate corner, guarded by 10 girls.

"You better get ready," Basil taunted. "They're going to crash your spines."

One girl kicked him, and he coughed.

"They should be coming out soon," one of the Norans said, as the portals opened up.

Soon, the Crucigon and a large number of new soldiers and vehicles exited the portals, rumbling through. The survivors yelled in delight, ecstatic about the new arrival.

"Line up!" Miho commanded, and the rest of the regiments formed. The Anglerfish Team again lined up in the vanguard, with at least 500 main battle tanks (Raio Mk.3, Merkava Arukah Mk.3, Merkava Gibor Ruach Mk.3, Xabra Mk.3, and K4 Black Tiger) lined up. Behind, the rest of the heavy tanks, the G-Rex Rhino SPG, the K-31 NOR, and the Namer Gunner lined up, ready to assist. In the outer wings, the Roughnecks, the Minotaurs, and various IFV forms of Boxer NOR, Wrecker, Megapode, and King Lynx formed, deploying their troops en masse like eternal beehives. By the time the first few lines of the Cratonic cavalry were visible, there were already thousands of tanks, artilleries, and especially infantry soldiers in line, ready to charge.

"Are the nuclear units ready?" Miho asked over the intercom.

"Ready!" was the answer.

Unlike most states, NOR made heavy use of nuclear reactors, miniaturized and secured for use on certain vehicles. The Oklo Mk.3 main battle tank, the Atomic IFV, and various forms of Boxer NOR, Wrecker, and King Lynx stayed far in line. Although they were dangerous to use, the reactors accelerated regeneration, production, and boosted other aspects of the vehicles and even magic, which is why they are used.

Farther out, in their own regiments, the artillery and skirmisher units readied themselves. The Turtle Team, the Rabbit Team, and the Mallard Team led the artillery factions, composed of all artillery units available in NOR, from the light King Primus to the colossal Alpha Fury II. Their giant guns and rocket launchers faced in the direction of the pachyderm mounts, ready to fire.

The Duck Team and the Anteater Team led the skirmishers, composed of mostly light tanks, fast main battle tanks (such as the Reapard Mk.2), a few fast artillery units (such as the King Primus, the G-Rex Rhino, and Van Boomer), and two IMVs, the Roughneck and the Minotaur, rumbled into the woods. All Minku variants also followed en masse.

Far in the base, almost all troop carriers and various ambulances, repair vehicles, and others dotted the hills. The Hippo Team and the Leopon Team looked after the base.

The Shark Team took charge of the more rebellious members of society, and face with the Anglerfish.

"We are ready," Ogin, the leader of the Shark Team, declared from her cupola. "Miho-san, what's your order?"

"What about the Turtle Team?" Miho asked, aware of Ogin and her team's deep respect for Momo.

"They are fine and well," Ogin replied. "And Momo sternly told me to obey you with all my heart."

She said that with a smirk, as if poking fun at Momo. Sure, she respected Momo, but wanted to pull some jokes once in a while, in order to keep the overall mood jolly.

Miho nodded, and smiled.

"Ready?" she commanded.

"YES!" multiple voices roared.

Multiple pachyderm roared echoed throughout the plains.

"Charge!"

The vanguard units charged, rumbling through the plains. Hundreds and thousands of feet, tracks, and wheels rumbled through the ground, as the regiments of infantry and mechanical units moved en masse. Facing them, the lines of giant pachyderms then stampeded in response. The two sides were only about a mile apart, but in a few seconds, they were hundreds of yards away, and then...the two sides finally met.

* * *

Miho winced, as the pachyderm mounts made short work of some of the tanks. Miho remembered that the pachyderm mounts were composed of three types: the oakphants, the oak mammoths, and the walnut mammoths. The oakphants were the smallest, about the size of their tanks. Despite that, they easily stopped the tanks in their tracks, pushing against them. The oak mammoths easily stomped many infantry units, crushing them flat with their truck-sized hooves. The walnut mammoths, however, were large enough to flatten entire tanks with their tree-sized legs!

It was one chaotic scene, as pachyderm mounts battled the tanks and other vehicles. Initially, the elephantine giants were winning, as they easily toppled and smashed tanks after tanks. Even with their cannons, the giants did not seem hurt; in fact, they kept fighting!

"What are these animals?!" multiple voices roared. "They're not going down!"

Miho then looked at them. Sure enough, the tank shells and rockets merely dented the giants' armor. Unlike real elephants, these magically enchanted ones had wooden armor, which apparently were a lot stronger than usual wood. Miho then took a closer look, and noticed that the "skin" of the elephantine mounts had a mixture of both white and green.

"Yikes," Mako suddenly spoke, trembling.

"What's wrong?" Miho asked.

"Bones," she replied. "Bones and wood."

Miho blinked, then gasped.

"Wait a second!" Saori screamed. "The elephants are covered in wood and bone?! Eek!"

"Stay calm," Miho said, trying to reassure her. "We will have to deal with this soon, so keep in line with the other regiments."

 _Sorry..._ the same voice echoed _. Cannot...resist...we...too strong..._

"Don't blame yourself," Miho said, realizing that she could sense the voice within the tank. Apparently, the infrasonic sounds could travel into the tank, since the tank was on the ground, allowing the sounds to travel through.

"Who?" her teammates asked.

"Sorry," Miho said, blushing.

 _Hit us...in the eyes...or the mouths..._

Miho nodded instinctively.

"Girls!" Miho commanded. "Hit them in the eyes, or when their mouths are open!"

Miho then looked up, and saw a walnut mammoth, the largest of the three pachyderm mounts, charging towards her!

"Yeah!" the pilot on top, clad in steel armor and looking as if drunk. "Oh yeah, stomp them flat!"

His walnut mammoth stomped tanks after tanks like cans, pulverizing them en masse. Some of the infantry girls shot with guns and cannons, but the colossal giant just kept on charging and stomping.

"Can we hit them in the howdahs?" a voice blared.

"If you can!" Miho commanded.

Multiple tanks and artilleries then fired at the howdahs, but they deflected off!

"Magic," Miho mumbled, as the mammoth continued to charge through. She and others could tell that the howdahs were magically enchanted, deflecting off missiles after missiles with ease.

However, she noticed that some stray rockets did penetrate, although they did not seem to cause much damage.

"What were those rockets?" Miho asked.

Suddenly, one of the girls on the ground raised her cannon, and fired a rocket. It struck the howdah, ignoring the magical shield! Multiple men on it screamed, as they struggled to stay in.

"That was a Special Pierce rocket," Mako noted. "An experimental rocket that we were testing with."

"Oh yeah!" the pilot roared, looking down at the Crucigon. "Crush that **** blue baby!"

Miho glared at him, took out a rocket launcher, inserted a Special Pierce rocket, and fired.

The launcher did not budge.

"Oh well," she said, taking the rocket out, activating it, and then threw it like a javelin.

"Fools!" the pilot roared with glee. "This magical cabin cannot be-augh!"

The SP rocket went through the shield, and pierced him in his heart.

"Aughhhh!" he roared, falling down.

The pilot's chains and ropes fell down, tugging at the pachyderm's ears, causing it to roar in pain, then stomp to the left.

"Go-go-go!" the crew on another walnut mammoth screamed, but it was too late. The pilot-less mammoth then crashed into the other, causing both to fall down. However, instead of just falling down, their bodies literally crumpled, with pieces of wood and bone exploding out. Miho turned her gun-shield, blocking out hundreds of wooden and bony remains that shot at her like bullets.

"Girls!" Miho commanded through her intercom. "Aim for the heads, the eyes, the pilots, or anywhere vulnerable, but use the SP rockets!"

"Who?!" some voices asked through the intercom.

"They are magically enchanted with traits of trees!" Miho roared louder. "Shoot them in the eyes, the mouths, or at the pilots with the Super-Pierce rockets!"

"Super-Pierce rockets!" some of the voices answered. "Roger that!"

"Aim for the eyes!" some of the girls on the ground roared, as they fired their shells. Some of them fired the usual, which somehow did not blind the elephants. However, when they fired the SP rockets, the pachyderms screamed in pain, hitting into each other, and knocking each other down. Apparently, the magical shield also protected the eyes, but did not stop the SP rockets from penetrating through.

Some of them even opened their mouths.

"Aim for the mouths!" more girls shouted, and fired at the mouths. The pachyderms quickly went down, as the amount of pain was beyond bearable. They shook and stomped, until they either fell down, or their howdahs fell down. Hundreds of men fell into the ground, where the magical shields shattered. Wasting no time, the tanks and many Norans came upon them, finally killing them for good.

One tank then fired a shell, which detonated and released a pepper spray smoke. The pachyderms, with their great noses and a great sense of smell, roared in pain, and many fell down en masse.

"Bring it down!" more girls screamed.

"Take it down!"

"They're falling down!"

"I don't know how the SP rockets could pierce through," Mako admitted. "But at least they work."

"And the pepper spray shell," Hana remarked.

"Fire them!" Miho commanded.

Yukari loaded three of them in, and the Crucigon's triple cannons fired. A massive cloud of pepper spray appeared, and the pachyderms roared in pain. Blinded, they ran into each other, and numerous men fell down.

"Anything to take them down," Miho said, as she lowered her head in prayer. "And hope that they will rest in peace."

 _Rest in peace...thank you..._

 **Miho sniffed, and a single tear fell down.**

More girls shot at the pilots with the Super-Pierce rockets, which managed to pierce through the magical shields that covered the howdahs. Soon, the men aboard the howdahs panicked, and some climbed out, only to fall to their death below. Miho estimated that there were at least 300 oakphants, 100 oak mammoths, and 30 walnut mammoths. Most of them fell down.

 _Thank you..._

"I pray you be well," Miho said, sweating a little.

"Can you hear them?" Saori asked.

"I guess so," Miho admitted. "I don't know why but me..."

 ** _We keep our promise..._ the same voice spoke. _After this...go over the mountains...to the west...and find the valley of bones._**

Miho shivered, but nodded.

"Thank you," she replied, and she soon sensed that the sounds were gone. "I hope you'll be in peace soon."

* * *

"The pachyderms were real animals," Darjeeling explained. "Now, they are a mixture of both animal and wood."

"But how did they do it?" Pekoe asked.

The two were talking with each other, drinking tea. Despite being far away, they could tell that the battle turned in the favor of the Norans. Most of the elephantine giants fell down, and they knew what that meant.

"That is a question I prefer to ignore," Darjeeling said, getting up. "And it's better not to know. That kind of magic is both disturbing and disgusting. Twisting animals into weapons of war? Especially by inflicting eternal pain, that's next to unforgivable. We will have to deal with that later. For now, Pekoe, let's go."

The two got up, and they left the ambulance. Soon, a Challenger 3 rumbled forward, and they all knew.

"Norans," Darjeeling spoke. "May we enter and meet in battle?"

The Norans nodded, letting her through, since she was now fully recovered. Whenever a Virago was fully recovered, she exuded an invisible aura, which signaled to Senshazons that she was alive and perfectly well.

Darjeeling and her tank soon entered the portal gate, and came upon the battlefield. Now, all kinds of girls were working. Some were still focused on tending the wounded, while others fixed the vehicles. Some were casually chatting about, while others were making meals. Some were even napping.

The Challenger 3 then moved towards a group of girls, who were guarding the three men.

"Finally," Darjeeling said, sighing in relief. In the background, only three walnut mammoths were standing, and they were struggling to stand.

"There are more coming!" Basil roared, trying to break free. One of the girls kicked him again.

"There's none of them left!" Juan snorted. "We only have the rest of the cavalry coming."

"So," Darjeeling spoke, the sense of civility gone from her voice. "May we speak with the men?"

The tone of her voice was obvious, and the guards led her in. She smirked, as she saw three men bound with ropes, which were enchanted with both magic and technology. They were mechanical chains, designed to weaken magic, while checking on the signatures of the prisoners.

"Finally," Darjeeling said. "I kept my promise, and you can see. We fled, we fought, and we won."

The three men growled.

"My my...do you all have more to say?" Darjeeling asked, her voice a little sinister. "After all, you all tortured us, almost raping us and such, but we fled just in time. Now, you are feeling what I have felt."

"Good thing we were not raped," Pekoe said. "Or this will turn worse than any adult story I've accidentally read. Brrr!"

Pekoe shook, but Darjeeling glared at the three men.

"You know that the pachyderm lines were just the tip of the iceberg," Gines snarled.

"I know," Darjeeling said, smiling. "But I am not worried about them. We have our own secrets up our sleeves."

"Secrets my *****," Juan retorted, causing the girls to kick him hard.

"Incoming!" a voice roared through the PA system. "We see more cavalry!"

Darjeeling merely smirked.

"It was quite stupid," Darjeeling said, coming close to the men. "To send your strongest cavalry first."

"It was to scare you all," Gines barked.

"Yes," Darjeeling said. "Pekoe, hand me a teapot of hot water."

Pekoe replied, and immediately poured it on top of the men. All three screamed in agony.

"You loved to see me cry in tears," Darjeeling said. "Whenever you whipped us, trying to rape us. Fortunately, we convinced you all that we're more valuable as virgins, and that was what saved us from a fate worse than death. **Now, you feel how I feel.** It's odd to see grownup men mocking at us, then cry like babies due to mere hot water."

Some of the girls laughed, completely understanding her. The men, however, fumed with rage. They hated being prisoners, so Darjeeling's pouring of hot water was more than just symbolic; it struck at their ego directly.

"You'll pay for this!" Basil roared.

"Pay?" Darjeeling asked, kneeling down to glare at him. "You should be glad that we, Senshazons, are neither monsters nor demons, which you all described us. Unlike you all, who have no sense of remorse or dignity for the captured, we will treat you well. I poured the hot water, only because I promised you all to make you how I feel, and now..."

She stood, and regained her composure, sighing in relief.

"You're back," Pekoe replied, shivering a little.

"I apologize for that," Darjeeling said. "But I had to keep what I said, and thank you for bearing with us, Norans. You see, if you make a promise, keep it the whole way through. That is what I admire about Miho-san. She made a promise, and she had never broken one."

"What about going back to our world?" Pekoe asked.

 **"She did," Darjeeling said. "Then, at our last meeting with all of the Virago leaders, Miho then admitted that she did not know whether it was worth it. At least unlike most leaders of the world, she came forward to admit that some promises are impossible. She then told us about the promise, and we all decided that it was not worth it. Of course, we are no longer humans, and with so many girls here to take care of, we all decided to stay put. After all, if you have others to take care of, like family, we want to stick behind, even if it meant leaving others behind, in order to help as many as we can."**

"Wow," a voice spoke.

The girls turned to look.

"You girls are sure noble," Gines said.

"Don't be so sure!" Juan and Basil barked, shoving him. "Why even listen to them?!"

"Look," Gines said, turning to his leaders. "I know how you all feel, but aren't we all doing the same thing? We came upon this world called Alterra, but established societies more to find a way back. Then, we decide to stay put for various reasons. After all, we're all both native and foreign to Alterra, so why fight against them?"

Juan was startled, taken aback by his comrade's unusual words. Basil, however, scoffed.

"Amazon-sympathizer!" he growled. "Why are you so suddenly with them on this?"

"Because I joined the Trophy Masters," Gines said. "Just to find a way to find my family back into my own homeland! The Craton told me that they had the magic to do so!"

The girls blinked, unsure of what was going on. Juan suddenly sighed.

"I am sorry," he spoke. "But the Craton lied to you about that one."

"Eh?" Gines asked, blinking. "Wait...WHAT?!"

"You sure seem innocent," Juan said. "But you should have known that the Craton-may it rise forever-is obviously a political institution. Like any, it has its own secrets, and one open secret is that the Craton-may it rise forever-does not keep all of them."

"Wha..." Gines stammered. "Wha...what-what's the meaning of this?! I-I spent ten freaking years to-to study as a gun mage, slaughtered over 1,000 enemies to become a Tro-Trophy Master, and then take heads after heads as a symbol of status...all to find favor in the eyes of the-the Craton!? What the **** was all that for?!"

"You really thought that the Craton-may it rise forever-can even do that for you?" Juan asked, annoyed. "You sure sound too optimistic. We are the members of the Craton-may it rise forever-whose goal is to dominate in order rule over Alterra, not to help you to get back home. And home-your home-does not exist anymore anyway, because the Cratonic priests decided that your world was not worth it."

"What?!" Gines cried.

"The Craton-may it rise forever," Juan spoke. "Decided that your homeland was too small and too insignificant to be of much help. Anyway, they decided that it was in the way of a major trading route. As a concession to multiple companies, the priests and mages summoned a maelstrom, and destroyed your entire homeland, which obviously included your family."

Gines shook, then sobbed.

"Really?" Basil asked in a mocking tone. "Gines Hus, you actually thought that the Craton will restore your homeland back? Not a chance. Remember the history classes? Most of them taught that the Craton-may it rise forever-has the power to create entire lands. What they did not tell you, however, is what Juan already said: that it had the power to destroy lands as well, and your land was worthless in the eyes of the Craton, may it rise forever."

Gines did not speak, sobbing silently.

"My family," he spoke. "My...my-my fam...fam...ALL FREAKKING GONEEE!"

Gines suddenly stood up, emitting a strange type of magic. It coursed through the chains, breaking them apart. The entire group stood back, stunned by the turn of events. Darjeeling, however, stood still and calm.

"Gines!" both Basil and Juan, still chained, shouted. "You're free!"

Gines, however, glared at them, then spat at them.

"I am not going back," Gines growled. "And my name is not Gines; my real name, before the stupid Craton granted it, is Gabriel Hus."

The two men blinked, then gasped.

"Gines!" both men spoke. "Snap out of it!"

"Snap my butt," he spoke, turning away. He then sobbed, then turned to roar at them.

"How dare they!" he roared at both Juan and Basil. "I did everything I could, in order to save my homeland-my island-from invasions and everything, all to gain the protection of the Craton! And now...ALL GONE!"

He knelt down, crying.

"Stop crying like a baby," Basil retorted. "It's all over now; let's just-ouch!"

Gabriel got up, and kicked him hard.

"You liars!" Gabriel snarled. "You never told me this!"

"Oh come on," Basil said, wincing a little. "You should know that the whole political and elite world is full of lies. After all, that's why we don't trust these Amazons in the first place."

"And you betrayed my own trust," Gabriel spoke, spitting at them again, then turned to face the girls. He cleared his throat, regaining his composure, albeit a little shaken.

"Senshazons," he spoke. "I...I apologize for the casualties done to your forces. I admire your great sense of honor and dignity. Please forgive me for this atrocity."

"Gines!" both men roared. "What are you doing?!"

"Betraying the Craton," Gabriel growled. "So that they can fight against you all. Senshazons, please kill them; they are not worth your time."

"We will decide their fate later," Darjeeling said. "That is for Miho and her Virago to deal with."

Gabriel nodded, glaring at his former comrades.

"Traitor!" both men roared, as the girls decided to gag them to silence them. "You will pay for this!"

In the background, the girls (and Gabriel) could see more cavalry units arriving. Some looked clearly like horses, while others were nothing like them. Some even flew, but all of them got shot down.

"Our tanks and vehicles," Darjeeling noted. "Easily can kill flying units like flies against sprays."

"What are we going to do with Gabriel?" Pekoe asked.

"We think that he should remain free," the Norans declared. "Let our Miho deal with him, since what he said was clearly right. However, he should face our Miho, and let her and her leaders decide."

"Affirmative," Darjeeling said, nodding. "So now, Gabriel-san. We need to talk. Who is this Craton, and your nation?"

"Well," Gabriel said, fidgeting a little. "There is another thing I need to tell you quick."

"What is it?" she asked.

"Your Empire," Gabriel said. "Is under the Cratonic control now."

* * *

 **Wow, this was unexpected.**

 **I did not expect the chapter to turn out like this, but it worked!**

 **(If you have not noticed, the fight against the mutant pachyderms is essentially one big shout-out to the "Haradrim vs. Rohan's Army" from Lord of the Rings series.)**

 **Reviews, likes, and follows are appreciated.**

 **Panzer vor!**

 **And yes, the San Gloria Empire, my version of St. Gloriana, is indeed under the rule of the Craton, so you all know what that means...?**

 **Next chapter: The Battle of Dry Grass II**


	14. Chapter 14: The Battle of Dry Grass II

**And it's back. This time, I decide to post a chapter faster than usual.**

* * *

 **Girls und Krieg**

 **Chapter 14: Battle of Dry Grass II**

"Zon," a nearby soldier sighed. "It's so easy now."

The Norans were easily annihilating the Cratonic forces. Indeed, it was obvious that the Cratonians originally tried the wrong type of battle strategy: stomp the enemies with giant cavalry, then eliminate the rest with faster, smaller cavalry. Unfortunately, the Norans managed to take down all of the pachyderm mounts, so that the smaller horses and other cavalry forces were so much easier to deal with. The remaining tanks and artilleries, in the hundreds and thousands, easily bombarded the cavalry forces.

The tanks not only fired their guns, but also charged into the thundering horses of various kinds. The equine cavalry welcomed the assault, and charged at them. Unfortunately, for obvious reasons, **the far larger, heavier tanks easily squashed and flattened the various equine animals**. Humans and horses alike screamed in horror, as the treads smashed their bones into smithereens. Even the unicorns and more mythical horses could not stop the onslaught, as their magic was not strong enough to nullify the tanks (after all, the tanks were technically at least semi-magical in nature). After being stomped by elephants, it was now the tanks' turn to do the same.

"More cavalry inbound!" the voice of a reconnaissance unit echoed.

The Virago girls, including Miho, looked up. Sure enough, more cavalry forces appeared, this time even more bizarre than the horses or the unicorns. The horse-eagle hybrids, known as demigryphs because they lacked wings, screamed into combat, only to be flattened to death, as the tanks rumbled over them like lawnmowers. Wolfhounds and war dogs charged in, only to be run over. A few did manage to run into the infantry, only to be shot down with extreme prejudice.

"You know," Mako said casually, as their tank morphed into its artillery mode. "Normally, I would be surprised to find unicorns and griffins and all, but now, I am not so surprised anymore."

The others agreed, as the Crucigon finished its transformation, aimed its giant gun, and fired. A massive blast of bluish-white energy erupted from the battlefield, slaughtering hundreds of enemies in one go.

Soon, the last of the cavalry forces entered combat. These soldiers were lightly armored, but rode on top of giant deer with colossal antlers, while some were ivy deer, enchanted with ivy essence, rendering them poisonous. However, once again, the tanks just rumbled over them, smashing them like pancakes.

"Just don't touch the ivy deer," Miho called over. "Although I don't think I need to tell you that..."

Although the ivy deer were indeed poisonous to touch, that did nothing against the cold metals of the tanks. The deer screamed and moaned, as the tanks casually crushed both their bodies and their antlers, like paper. Meanwhile, the infantry soldiers fired at a distance, careful to avoid the ivy deer.

"This is boring," multiple soldiers admitted; a few even yawned, as their tanks just plowed over the animals and the soldiers who rode on them.

Soon, more units appeared. some looked like robotic wolves, while others looked like minotaurs or even werewolves.

"Just charge at them," Miho said, and the girls just did it. Despite being far stronger than the horses, the new animal soldiers were pathetic. The mechanical wolves, which Darjeeling said were Lupinators, got crushed to death. The minotaurs tried to charge into them, but against the 40 to 60 tonnes of cold metals, it was pointless. The werewolves then jumped on top of the tanks, only to be shot down by various remotely controlled weapons systems, and the defense systems on the tanks. A number of werewolves jumped on top of Merkava tanks, and the Hyper Trophy system blasted them into bits with their shotgun-like blasts.

"We see the last of the regiments coming!" the reconnaissance units blared.

They were flying units, ranging from griffins and pegasuses to giant eagles, soared into view. Unfortunately, they all fell down, as the vehicles aimed their guns, ranging from actual anti-air guns to tank guns, and blasted them like Gatling guns. They fell down like ducks that got shot down by bullets.

"This is too easy," one soldier groaned.

* * *

 **10 minutes later...**

Miho surveyed the battlefield, eating a red apple, the skin and flesh crushing within her mouth.

"Report please," she asked through the intercom.

"We've got a thousand or so prisoners," Yuzu's voice spoke. "And we used up about 50,000 of our troops, so our loss is at about 7%, while the Cratonians lost over 97% of their forces."

Miho nodded, and watched over the plains. Although the fog eventually came over (she was glad of that one), she could tell that the entire plain was covered with bodies. She was glad that she was not traumatized, but the thousands of vultures overhead said it all.

Meanwhile, the Norans set up different sections nearby. The medical sections tended the wounded, with at least 100 ambulances stationed. The repair stations had over 100 repair vehicles, working hard to fix the damaged or destroyed vehicles. Three sections were recon posts, which were technically the Senshazon version that combined all of the functions of a surveillance, reconnaissance, and command post station all in one package. These stations inspected the battlefield and around it, using flying drones as mini-satellites to analyze it, searching for any survivors or even the Cratonic bases.

"Well," a voice spoke, surprising Miho. "This is a thing."

Miho turned around. Sodoko appeared through the fog, and she was inspecting her intercom, while holding a clipboard. Even with advanced technologies, most Norans still liked old-fashioned equipment. In fact, Sodoko recorded data on both her own e-file, and her own clipboard.

"Are you alright?" Miho asked.

Sodoko just sighed.

"You've said that for year after year," Sodoko groaned. "But yes, we are not traumatized. But yeah, it sounds weird."

 **Miho nodded, understanding what she meant. She was referencing their lack of trauma at the bodies. In real life, they would have been horrified, much like some horrific doujinshi that displayed excess violence.**

"But we are Senshazons," Miho said. "Which is why we are not affected."

They both watched, as the Norans went about their business. Those who were either fully recovered or managed to escape harm were acting much like normal citizens, going about their business. Some were eating, while others were chatting. Once again, some were even napping, including Mako.

"Reizei-san!" Sodoko shouted, rolling her eyes as she marched towards her. "How many times did I tell you? Start acting like Virago, and not like a normal Noran!"

"I don't think we Norans are that normal," Miho admitted. "Even by Senshazon standards, although that's a topic for another day...maybe."

Suddenly, Miho's intercom beeped.

"We have rounded up the last of the survivors," the face of a young Noran declared, saluting her like Yukari.

"I am coming," she replied, like a mother answering her daughter. "I will be there."

She then walked, as multiple Norans passed by casually. Despite the fog, the girls treated it like just another day, eating, drinking, and chatting like normal high school girls.

 ** _I honestly wish if we were like that,_ Miho thought. _But here we are now. We are no longer girls, but adults with responsibilities._**

She finally reached the prisoner section, where the Norans were guarding the last survivors. The men were all bound, while their horses and deer were chained nearby. Apparently, all of the magical mounts somehow needed the mages, in order to survive. Hence, without them they all perished. Only the natural horses and deer were unaffected, and some of the Norans were even trying to ride on them!

"But say," one of the Norans was speaking, as Miho neared. "Where are the dragons that they claim will come?"

"They refuse to tell us," another said, but stopped to salute Miho. "Nishizumi-sensei, we have them all here. They are the only ones alive, exactly 1,500."

"1,500," Miho remarked, as her team soon joined her. "So, what's going on? I heard you all saying about dragons?"

 **"Apparently," one of the soldiers said. "They were supposed to be here, but they did not. It's obvious that something happened, because according to whispers from the soldiers, their cavalry forces got hit by some 'mysterious force' or something, which decimated almost half of their forces."**

Miho and her team blinked, with Mako leaning on Saori.

"And they won't explain why?" Miho asked, looking at the men. Some were visibly shaken, while others eyed her innocently.

"That also explains why they charged in like that," the soldier continued. "It appears that they came over the mountains and the few rivers. Well, this continent sure is odd. It's like the Africa that you Virago talk about, except more primal and cooler."

"We can talk about that later," Miho said. "For now, what should we do with our prisoners?"

"Can't we just kill them?" one of the Norans asked. About half of the soldiers flinched at that remark.

 **"Or risk murder?" Miho rhetorically asked, causing her to be silent. "But I understand. However, we first need to check them..."**

So, the Virago began an hour of interrogation and inspection, analyzing each of the survivors carefully. For some reason, the Virago possessed something like a "natural polygraph," allowing them to detect lies. However, just in case, each Virago checked each man individually, in order to minimize the possibility of error. Other than a few differences, the girls managed to successfully scan all soldiers. In the end, the Norans separated the prisoners into two fields. The left field held 750 men, and the other held the exact same number.

"OK," Miho said, standing on a raised platform, along with her team. "So, you all Cratonians are now separated into two groups. Don't worry; we're not going to kill you."

Suddenly, a few men on the right side giggled.

"What's so funny?" Sodoko asked, glaring at them.

"Not telling you," said one of the prisoners, but a prisoner in the left side spoke.

"In our culture," he declared. "The innocent usually stand on the right side, while the guilty stand on the left side."

"Oh," Miho said. "We did not know that."

Suddenly, she noticed that some of the men's faces in the right field paled.

"In reality," Miho said. "We have no rule concerning that. In fact, the group on the left side is essentially free to go. We will release them, give them food and water and anything they need, and let them leave. We are saving you, the REAL guilty ones, for misbehavior and other atrocities in the battlefield, such as trying to do some things to us girls..."

The men then realized. The innocent were on the left side, who surrendered and obeyed the Norans. The guilty were on the right side, who hated being imprisoned and fought bitterly, even when bonded.

"But no," Miho said. "We are not going to execute you, for now. I am not sure what to do with you all, but we're going to discuss that with Darjeeling-san."

The Norans wasted no time. They freed the men on the left field, who then meekly apologized or thanked to a various degree. Smiling, the Norans then led them to a buffet line, where they feasted and managed to calm down. Soon, some of them even started to talk with the Norans, and a few were even signing autographs!

"Men sure are popular among us Norans," Mako noted.

"There are a few reasons why," Saori said. "But let's not talk about that here."

By contrast, the other 750 prisoners were still chained, grumbling still about their plight.

"There is a reason why we keep you in chains," Miho said. "From what little I know, we still have your leaders. We will decide their fate, along with yours."

Miho then nodded to her teammates, who nodded back. They stayed behind, while Miho walked quickly in the direction of where Darjeeling and Orange Pekoe were.

 _Wonder what happened there?_ Miho thought. _I heard something happened from some soldiers that one of them was free, but they were not bothered..._

Miho walked through the fog again, and more Norans passed by.

"Hello Nishizumi-sensei!" some of them called out.

"Hi there," Miho said, waving back and smiling. She was glad to see them happy and alive, but continued on.

Soon, she reached her destination, and stared in stunned silence.

Despite the fog, she could see what was going on:

Darjeeling was talking to Gines, and were having a serious talk. Miho could tell, because Darjeeling was not drinking her tea, which clearly was cooled down. Gines was standing over a table, talking about something. The background noise of the girls talking loudly drowned out what they were saying, but Miho could tell that it was serious business. Then, Darjeeling looked down, thinking deeply.

Miho decided to wait, and it appeared that about 10 minutes passed, before Darjeeling raised her head and said something. The soldiers around her, Gines, and Orange Pekoe all gasped in shock.

"What's going on?" Miho asked, deciding to interrupt because she was too curious. She went forward, and the others turned to look.

"Ah," Darjeeling said, smiling. "Miho-san, we were discussing something very crucial. And this man here spilled the beans, and his real name is Gabriel."

"Gabriel?" Miho asked. "What's going on here? Why are you free, and on our side?"

"It's a long story," Darjeeling said. "I will explain..."

She then explained what they were talking about. She started from her act of pouring the hot water (Quite an odd behavior, Miho thought. But completely understandable), and she and the men talked about the Craton and all. Soon, it turned out that Gabriel joined the forces, in order to save his homeland, only to be betrayed by the Craton. Enraged and distraught, he then defected and spilled the beans about the Craton.

"So this Craton," Miho said. "Is sort of like a massive empire, right?"

Gabriel nodded.

"I also believe that you all were Humans," Gabriel said. "So, I guess you know about the Roman Empire and such?"

She nodded.

"Such knowledge is rather...rare in our lands," Gabriel said. "But we can talk more, but Darjeeling knows everything I said. But the last thing is the most important."

He then told her about Darjeeling's lands, and Miho gasped.

"Your state is under control?!" Miho asked, gawking as she stared at her friend.

Darjeeling nodded sadly.

"Is that why you decide to defect?" Miho asked Gabriel.

"What's the point?" Gabriel spoke. "Either blindly follow that stupid Craton, or forge my own path in life? I am going to take my loyal soldiers, and go and warn other territories."

"You can?" Miho asked. "Is it that simple?"

"I am a general," he replied with a warm smile. "Or at least a former one. I still have enough prestige to do so. But we have to leave soon."

"Ah!" Miho gasped, turning on her intercom. "Norans! Please tell the freed men about General Gines! He's free and willing to talk to you all!"

"Thank you," he replied, as he put his hat on. "I will have to leave soon. Farewell, and goodbye. I wish you all well."

"Wait!" Miho began. "But why so-"

He then suddenly dashed away, and Miho looked on, blinking.

"What's going on?" Miho asked, confused.

"Let him do his thing," Darjeeling said. "So, I guess you already know the bad news."

"Your San Gloria Empire is captured," Miho said.

"The good news," Darjeeling said. "Is that about 2/3 of our citizens have successfully escaped, and are on their way around this area here. We can simply repopulate in mere days, using our APCs and other methods."

"Wait," Miho said, gasping. "You can't really mean it..."

"We are," Darjeeling said. "It's extreme, but...we have decided it."

Miho stared down, then raised her head up, nodding.

"We will help you what we can," Miho said. "But this means..."

"We're going to recreate society from scratch," she replied. "And I will also tell you what we were doing before we met. Meanwhile, let us rest for a while; it's been a long day."

Miho nodded, and she sat down with the two San Glorians. The three girls then chatted on about random stuff, more to enlighten themselves, rather than to burden with more worries. Indeed, the three were having a blast, laughing like old friends. After about half an hour, the three sighed in relief.

"Now," Darjeeling said, getting up gracefully. "We are ready to face our challenges."

"I...I wish you all well," Miho said, getting up. "And thanks for the tea."

Darjeeling smiled.

"I hope your kindness will be rewarded," Darjeeling admitted. "I hope so, even to God, if He even exists."

"I hope to God..." Miho remarked. "I wonder about our kami."

"Our kami are from Japan," Darjeeling said. "This is Alterra, not Japan, after all."

"Some believe that the kami are still around here," Miho said. "Like some of our Norans, who have made shrines dedicated to them."

"Or churches all around us," Darjeeling said. "Regardless, **we look up to a higher power of sort, in order to move forward. If that helps us to recuperate, we will do what we can to move forward."**

Miho thought, then nodded.

"Well then," she said. "It's decided: **panzer vor**."

"Thank you," Darjeeling said, a single tear coming out of her right eye. "Thank you."

* * *

 **Well, it is a short chapter, but I wanted the story to pick up a little, in order to make up for the lost time.**

 **So yes, I made a reference to "300," which is Miho eating an apple.**

 **Inceptor57, if you notice the reference to doujinshi, you know what I mean.**

 **Reviews and everything are appreciated.**


	15. Chapter 15: Future Glory

**Alright, I decide to tell you all:**

 **I was hoping to finish this story with a bigger, epic finale. Unfortunately, after some thinking, I realize that I made a few big mistakes, especially in not keeping the themes consistent.**

 **So, I am going to finish this story to the best of my ability, and then start on a brand-new story.**

 **To all of the people who gave me 43 reviews, 13 favs, and 19 follows, thank you for all your hard work!**

 **I hope that the next story is more consistent.**

 **Therefore, let us finish this story.**

* * *

 **Girls und Krieg**

 **Chapter 15: Future Glory**

"Are you sure about this?"

"I am, Miho-san."

"Well, thank you so much, Darjeeling-san."

"That's what we should be saying, Miho-san. We are the ones who should be thanking you."

"Well..."

"You are so nice, Miho-san. Or should I say this: Miho-senpai?"

"Ehehe, you don't have to call me 'senpai.' We are technically equals."

"We are all Virago, in search of true glory, even in the future."

"Huh?"

"MIHO-SAAANNNN!"

Multiple voices rang out, as the girls said their last words with each other. Miho turned around, as she greeted more of her Noran comrades. Meanwhile, Darjeeling shook hands with Gabriel, who bowed down in gratitude.

"I believe you are leaving soon?" Gabriel asked. "My lady?"

"Well," Darjeeling hesitated, stunned by him calling her "lady." Now, she started to understand how and why Miho was bothered by her calling her "senpai."

"Don't worry," he said, chuckling. "We may meet again, Miss Darjeeling."

"Well," she replied, blinking. "Thank you."

Gabriel tipped his hat, while Miho returned to them. Miho then shook hands with Darjeeling, who reciprocated deeply.

"I wish you well," Miho said. "My friend."

"I wish you well," Darjeeling said, a little louder and more casual than usual, then made a smirk. "My queen."

Miho blushed, and the two laughed.

"I wish you well," Darjeeling said.

"Me too," Miho said.

Darjeeling nodded, and the two looked at each other, as the last words resonated...

* * *

 **30 minutes ago...**

Miho stood, looking at a board, then at the table. She was hosting a special meeting, in order to discuss what to do next. Of course, after the Battle of Dry Grass, the victors wanted to be ready for the next attacks, if they were going to appear.

All of the Virago of NOR were in, and Darjeeling and Orange Pekoe were in too. Gabriel also was present.

"Alright," Miho spoke. "Based on our reports, the old territory of San Gloria Empire is now occupied. Fortunately, over 95% of all San Glorians managed to escape, and are now in an area that seems to be Nigeria from our world. There, they are working to re-create their society, something that we are used to for centuries.

"We are deeply saddened at the turn of events," she continued. "However, I am thankful to any higher power that has helped to save them all. All of the Virago of San Gloria are alive. We Norans will help in any way we can to keep them alive and well."

"Thank you for your help," Darjeeling said, sipping her tea. "But we wish to try and re-establish it on our own first. That way, we know what we really need. Then, we can go from there."

"Blimey," Pekoe said, as she poured more tea (for everyone). "So many things have happened."

"I don't blame you," Saori said (as everyone drank tea in relief). "It has been three days since we've released them all. Gabriel-san decides to mete out his own form of punishment. Some were executed, while others were released, with nothing to help them. Those loyal to him, especially those who realized the whole situation, then stuck by him. They then helped us to clean up the mess, while some of our girls interacted with them well."

"And once again," Hana said. "We are now back to normal."

The girls then drank again, and laughed.

"Well," Momo said, drinking her own tea (she secretly liked it, for it was citron tea). "This tea is...interesting."

She drank and drank it, then gulped everything down. Pekoe then passed a teapot, which Miho took and poured it.

"Thank you," Momo said, and gulped down, then made a face, as she forgot that the tea was hot.

"Hot-hot-hot!" she hiccuped.

"Here," Hana said, handing a plate of cold desserts.

Momo ate, and sighed in relief.

"Wow," Miho said, drinking hers. "This is really nice tea."

"A special mixture to celebrate today," Darjeeling said. "Especially for you, Miho-san. Rooibos, yerba mate, and hibiscus tea."

"Why that combination?" Sodoko asked, as she drank her own tea, then frowned. "Vanilla tea with...rooibos again?"

"Well," Orange Pekoe said. "You girls are Norans, and you all use a variety of South African vehicles, so it makes sense to have rooibos."

Sodoko frowned, then smiled.

"Thanks," she said.

"Thank you!" various girls shouted in appreciation.

 _Wow,_ Gabriel thought. _These girls are so...nice. Much nicer than our real Human girls..._

"Except that our girls," Yukari said. "Really want more combat."

"Really?" Gabriel asked, both to himself and to the question. "How is that possible? You girls do not seem to get tired that easily, or even...traumatized."

The girls looked at each other, then shrugged.

"We are Senshazons," Mako said. "We are not exactly human in that regard."

I guess he's still learning, Miho thought. I wonder what more can we expect?

 _I am still learning a lot,_ Gabriel thought. _Maybe I need to rethink my expectations._

"And from you guys," Sodoko said. "It seems that this is not going to be the first time, or the last, that we'll meet those Cratonic folks."

"Well," Gabriel said. "We are crazy and unpredictable, after all."

"How crazy?" various Virago girls asked in unison, and the conversation suddenly went chaotic.

"Alright-alright!" Momo roared, silencing the crowd. "OK, we need to get back to the point of this!"

"Said the girl who asked a random question previously," Yuzu teased, causing her to throw a fit, as others laughed in the background.

"Which is what to do next," said Noriko, and the others agreed.

The whole crowd became silent, and Gabriel blinked.

"Umm..." he tried to say something, but Miho eyed him. Correctly interpreting it, he stayed quiet.

"There is a time for war," Erwin broke the silence. "And...what was next?"

"And a time for peace," replied Miho.

"That's right!" the Hippo Team declared.

The crowd then laughed again, and the girls settled down.

"Alright," Hana said. "Ladies and gentleman, we now are going to talk about the matters today. I believe that Anzu-san knows what to say. Anzu-san?"

"Alright, let me get this straight," Anzu said, crunching on her dried sweet potatoes. "All of our friendly factions, from Saunderia to Jatkosota, are either still around in Senshazonia, or are establishing bases on this continent."

"That is correct," Darjeeling said.

"But we still need to find and maintain contact with them," Sodoko said.

"Correct," Darjeeling answered.

"And they are all alive and well," Miho said.

"Very true," she said. "Everybody else heard the news of my capture. Because of this, I overheard from the soldiers that the Senshazons suddenly changed plans, preventing the Virago from getting captured. Apparently, the Craton tried to put the Virago into a trap. Somehow, they knew that we Virago prefer to lead the charge, so they took advantage of that. Without being able to trap the Virago, all other factions have safely protected their Virago."

Miho thought something over, then stood up.

"And how can we contact them?" Miho asked. "If they are well, just in case?"

"That is a good question," Darjeeling admitted.

"Oh..." various girls asked.

"How did you all know in the first place?" Momo asked.

"We did answer that," Yuzu said. "She said that she heard from other soldiers."

"And that is true," Gabriel said. "We Cratonians soon learned that your Virago are somehow very important, far more than just capturing a king or queen regnant. That's why they wanted to draw as many Virago as possible. Well, they failed to realize that the news of a Virago captured by enemies will suddenly alert other nations."

"As if some magic acts as an alarm," Miho said.

"Yes!" the others agreed.

"Good point," Gabriel said. "But...I have one question: how can we defeat the Craton?"

"Umm..."

"We'll figure it out someday," Miho said. "For now, let us explain more..."

* * *

 **Back to the present**

Darjeeling sat on top of the turret of her Challenger 3, as it rumbled away. In the distance, the former battlefield of the Dry Grass was now spotless, green with fresh grass. The Senshazons did a great job at cleaning up the mess, and many were even playing sports.

"I am amazed at what you all can do," Gabriel said. "You Senshazons are amazing. You appear to be masters of some magitech."

"Magitech?" some of the Norans asked.

"Our term for a fusion of both technology and magic," Gabriel explained. "And you girls can play in the same areas where much blood was shed."

"We are Senshazons," many of them replied, shrugging. The Virago, however, were more human in their response.

"Ehehehe," Miho said, nervous. "Well, Gabriel-san, what about you? I know you're leaving, but..."

"Don't worry about us," he said, as he packed up his belongings. "We humans are tenacious and adaptive. We will do what we can."

"Robin Hood!" some of the men shouted in the distance. "We're waiting!"

He smirked, while most Norans (except for the Virago) tilted their heads, confused at the reference.

"I am coming!" Gabriel called out, bowed quickly to the girls, and left.

However, he did not run far. He then turned around, and stretched his right hand. Understanding the reference, Miho reached her right hand, and Gabriel took it and kissed it. Although her hand was at least 25% larger than his, it felt very natural. Miho blushed.

"DARJEELING-SAMMMMMAAAAAAA!" a sudden roar broke the atmosphere. Multiple girls jumped, and many looked in the direction of the voice.

"Eh?" Gabriel asked, surprised as he turned around. "Who was that?"

Miho blinked, then remembered.

"She's back," Miho remarked.

"Oh zon," a few girls replied.

"Ro-Rosehip-san!" Pekoe's tiny but audible voice echoed in dismay. "That-that's not the way to present San Gloria! Mind your manners!"

Darjeeling merely giggled, as a tiny tank rocketed into the field, as an army marched from behind. Gabriel and his men whistled in awe.

"San Glorians," Yukari said, watching with glee. "They are famous for their consistent formations, which are great for show and protection, but a little rigid."

"And we are Norans," Ogin noted. "We are quite complicated in our formations, but that is our strength: unpredictability."

The Norans watched, as the Challenger 3 eventually met up with the army. Rosehip's tank, however, went back and forth, as Rosehip flailed about. Orange Pekoe was trying to calm her down, while another Challenger 3 approached from the moving formation.

"Rosehip-san!" Assam roared from the other tank. "Get your manners in order!"

"Well," Mako said. "I guess they're back to normal."

"Normal?" Hana asked. "What is normal?"

The girls looked at each other. At first, they were concerned. Then, they suddenly laughed.

"Well," Miho said. "I guess the peace that we have is normal, that war is normal, and that we may be Senshazons, but we are...sort of normal in a way."

"What is normal?" Sodoko sarcastically asked.

"Let's not go philosophical," Miho said. "Anyway, we give you our blessings, Gabriel-san. I wish you all well. Knowing the history of what had happened, I think that you all will have to deal with whatever will happen."

"Don't worry about us," Gabriel said. "We've seen plenty of wars and all, and we can survive. If you girls can survive, then we can."

"Say," Miho began. "What is the Craton like-"

"Warning!" a reconnaissance unit screamed through the PA system. "We are under attack!"

The girls looked in the direction of the sound. A single Boxer reconnaissance vehicle flew into view, jumping up and down the hills.

"Well," Miho said. "It looks like we'll face more."

"We will try and take a detour," Gabriel said, kissing her right hand again. "And we'll see if we can distract them."

"Thank you," Miho said. "Darjeeling-san, don't worry about us. We'll handle this."

"May Kamisama or God be with you," Darjeeling said, waving a goodbye. "If we can muster enough forces, we'll help you!"

"Thank you!" Miho called out, then turned to her army, which was already mobilizing. "Norans, are we in this?"

"Yes!" the rest answered in reply.

Miho then ran to her Crucigon, but suddenly in front of it. She caressed the front with her right hand. Suddenly, four more hands stacked on top of each other. Miho looked around, and smiled.

"We are all in this together," Mako said.

"Let's go and rock!" Yukari declared.

"Let us rise and shine," Hana spoke.

"And show them who we are!" Saori shouted.

Miho smiled, then nodded.

"Panzer vor!" she cried out.

"OI!" the rest of the girls roared, as they rumbled through the fields, moving in the direction of the Sun, as it rose higher and higher, brighter and brighter, smiling down upon the new world...

"We may not know what will happen next," Miho said rhetorically. "But...I guess in times of war and peace, we will stand and rise. Whether we can return to our old home or not, we may not know. All we know is this: let's do the best we can to be strong and courageous, and help to make this world a better place to live in."

She made a deep breath.

"Panzer vor."

* * *

 **Mysterious Epilogue**

"Sir."

"Yes?"

"We have found the Norans."

"Hmm."

"Sir?"

"Yeah?"

"Aren't we going to attack them?"

"The Norans?"

"San Glorians."

"They're not worth our money or time."

"But we can use them, like distracting the Nor-"

"Silence."

"Eh..."

"..."

"..."

"I understand. We can lure them, but that is too predictable. After what we did to San Glorians, and the Craton, we better keep a low profile."

"I hope no one is hearing this...but what is your future goals?"

"What do you think?"

"You really have not been clear lately, like you somehow finish your projects, but cancel some others."

"Life is all about learning from everything. Even from hobbies, we learn what works, and what does not."

"Ah, I see."

"If so, we'll be ready for the next steps, Master Controller."

"My Master, you don't have to call me that."

"You are worth my respect, because you are the only one of my generals who actually understands what I am saying."

"But I have yet to know more."

"Exactly, that is why I tell you this: the Senshazons are a part of my plans, a bigger plan for the world of Alterra, but that is in an alternate dimension."

"Sorry?"

"Ahem, that's a problem of concern."

"Umm..."

"Don't worry about it; you will eventually know, so go: maintain the balance, for the Senshazons are among those against it."

"But why even uplift them?"

"As long as they don't go 'overboard,' and especially are not aware of me pulling the strings, we are in control. So, be on your way, and may the Balance be always strong."

"Yes, my Controller. May the balance be always strong."

Thump-thump-thump...

"Hmm, I know how you feel. To be honest, I have already crossed the Rubicon. I cannot turn back. However, there may be salvation, from a group that I have never intended, but they may be the source of salvation...or destruction. That strange alliance, which is going to get the Senshazons on their side, is going to be interesting...but I cannot see the future. Well, no matter, I have already made my decision. I better go and deal with Nishizumi Miho. She's a very interesting person...Who are you, Miho-san?"

* * *

 **So, I apologize, but this story officially ends.**

 **The mysterious dialogue above is basically my way of returning back to some elements of what made my writing so good. It's also a cliffhanger, not for this story, but for a future story. The new mysterious people (if all goes well) should appear in my next story.**

 **The mysterious dialogue is basically my way of focusing on what makes my stories so good. I have noted that some things of my writing style have worked, and have not.**

 **You all may note that I am an amateur writer, with a specialty for fantasy. This is because fantasy is not thought to be "scientific," so there is more room for imagination. However, I am a fan of _Lord of the Rings_ and _Chronicles of Narnia_ , so you can see a few themes from there. I am still into science, but I realize that "science fiction" requires "sounding" like real science, which I am no fan of.**

 **I was hoping to finish this with a longer story, but instead of suddenly cutting off the story, I decide to officially end it with this ending. That way, it does not feel like a rude "cancellation." I have done this a couple of times before, and I don't want to offend you all, so thanks for understanding.**

 **And I wish the girls well in a brand-new story!**

 **And may God bless you all, panzer vor, and see you all soon-ish!**

 **;)**


End file.
